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TEOTESTATIO. 

Com SS. D. N. Urbanus Papa VIII. die 13 Martii 
1625 in Sacra Congregatione S. R. et Universalis In- 
quisitionis Decretum ediderit, idemque conflrmaverit die 
5 Junii 1634 quo inhibuit imprimi libros Hominum, qui 
Sanctitate, seu Martyrii famacclebres e vita migraverunt, 
gesta. miracula, vel revelationes, sou quascumque bene- 
ficia, tanquam eorum intcrcessionibus a Deo accepta con- 
tinentes. sine recognitione, atque approbatione Ordinarii, 
et quoi hactenus sine eaimpressa sunt, nullo modo vult 
censeri approbata. Idem autem Sanctissimus die 5 
Junii 1631 ita explicaverit, ut nimirum non admittantur 
Ebgia Sancti, vol Beati absolute, et quae cadnnt super 
Personam, bene taraen ca, qure cadnnt super mores, et 
opinionem ; cum protestatione in principio, quod iis 
nulla adsit anctoritas ab Ecclesia Romana, sed fides 
tan turn sit penes Auctorem. Iluie Decreto, ejusque 
confirmationi, et declarationi, observantia, et rcverentia, 
qua pars est, insistendo; profiteor me baud alio sensu, 
quidquid in hoc libro refero, accipere, aut accipi ab ullo 
velle, quam quo ea solcnt, qua? humana dumtaxat 
auetoritate, non autem Diviua Oatholica? Romanse Ec- 
clesiae, aut Sanctse Sedis Apostolica), nituntur. lis tan- 
tuminodo exceptis, quos eadem Sancta Sedes, Sancto- 
rum, Bcatorum, aut Martyrum catalogo adscripsit. 



PEOTESTATION. 

Pope Urban VIII.. March 13th, 1625. published a de- 
cree in the sacred congregation of the inquisition, which 
he confirmed June 5th. 1G34, by which ho forbade the 
printing of any works respecting those who had been ren- 
dered famous by their sanctity or by their martyrdom, 
or containing an account of actions, miracles, or revela- 
tions, or any benefits which may be said to have been 
obtained from God through their intercession, without 
the license and approbation of the ordinary, and wished 
that those which have been hitherto printed without it 
should be considered as not approved of. The Holy 
Father, June 5th. 1631, explained this decree, as referring 
to the eulogies of the saint or beatified person, and not 
to those works which treat of morals or matter- of 
opinion, if there be a protestation in the beginning j thai 
the Church does not give them authority, but that the 
faith is with the author. In obedience to this decree and 
with all due reverence to it. I profess that I do not re- 
ceive any thing stated in this work, nor do I desire that 
others should receive it, in any other manner than what 
is recorded on human authority, and not on the divine 
authority of the Roman Catholic Church, or of the Holy 
Apostolic See. Those only are excepted whom the Holy 
See has added to the Catalogue of Saints, beatified oi 
martyrs. 

%sS* The original documents have the following 
imprimatur : 

Imprimatur, Fr. Thomas M. Lai; 

Ord. Pra?d. S. P.. Apostolici Mag. Socius. 

Imprimatur. Fr. Antonius Ligi Bussi, 

Archiep. IcoroVn. Vicesgerens. 



SAINTLY CHARACTERS 



RECENTLY 



PRESENTED FOR CANONIZATION. 



BY T£E 

KEY. WILLIAM H. NELIGAN, LL.D., M.A., 

TEINITY COLLEGE, DUBLIN, 

1CEMBEB OP THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF GEEAT BRITAIN, AUTHOR 
OF "ROME, ITS CHURCHES, ITS CHAEITIES, AND ITS SCHOOLS." 




NEW-YOKK: 

EDWARD DUNIGAN & BROTHER 

(JAMES B. KIRKER,) 

371 Broadway. 
1859. 






The Library 
of Congress 

WASHINGTON 



Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1859, 

BY JAMES B. KIKKEE, 

In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States for the 

Southern District of New York. 



CONTENTS. 

A BRIEF ACCOUNT OF THE FORM OBSERVED IN THE CANON- 
IZATION of Saints . .... 9 

Blessed Clare, of Monlefalco 35 

Chapter I. — Commencement of the Cause under John 
XXII.— The Cardinal Napoleon Ursinius. — Urban 
VIIL— Clement X. . .... 39 

Chapter II. — Cause resumed under Clement XII. — Ap- 
proval of Constant Veneration. — Letters for the he- 
ginning of a new Process 42 

Chapter III. — The Sentence of the Holy See, -respecting 

the virtues of Blessed Clare 45 

Chapter IV. — Objection made by the Promoter of the 

faith to the Virtues of Blessed Clare . . .46 

Chapter V. — The Miracles of Blessed Clare. — The in- 
quiry made by the Bishop respecting them . . 63 

Chapter VI. — The Inquiry made by the authority of the 

Holy See into the Miracles .... 70 

The Venerable Francis de Ghisone . . .71 
Chapter I. — A short account of the Life of the Venera- 
ble Francis 74 

Chapter II. — The Virtues of the Venerable Francis. — 
His love of Prayer. — His devotion to the Blessed Sa- 
crament and the Mother of God. — His patience . 83 



IV CONTENTS. 

Chapter IIL —Letters of the Venerable Francis . . 91 
Chapter IV. — Objections against the Virtue of Obedi- 
ence ......... 99 

Chapter V. — Death of the Venerable Francis . . 103* 

The Venerable Stephen Bellesini . . . .111 

Chapter I. — First years of Bellesini. — He enters the 

Augustinian Order. — Catholic Schools . . .114 

Chapter II. — Father Bellesini leaves Trent, and enters 
again the Augustinian Order. — He is made Master of 
Novices 122 

Chapter III. — His life in Community. — The venerable 

servant of God asks to be transferred to Genazzano 127 

Chapter TV. — Virtues of Father Bellesini. — His Theo- 
logical Virtues 134 

Chapter V. — Moral Virtues — Prudence, Justice, Tem- 
perance . 145 

Chapter VI.— Miracles. — Reputation for Sanctity. — 

Death 154 

Chapter VII. — Regulations of the Schools . . . 1G1 

The Venerable Francis Xavter Bianchi . . .166 

Chapter I. — The first thirty years of the life of Father 

Bianchi 169 

Chapter II. — The twelve years during which Father 
Bianchi was Superior of the College of Portanova, 
from 1773 to 1785 173 

Chapter III. — The Retreat which Father Bianchi kept 

from 1786 to 1801 . ... . . .176 

Chapter TV. — The fourteen years he spent as an Apostle 179 

Chapter V. — Results of Father Bianchi's Ministrations 185 

Chapter VI. — Circumstances worth recording . . 188 



CONTENTS. V 

Anna Maria Taigi . . . . . - . 205 
Chapter I.— The Early Life of the Servant of God . 205 

Chapter II. — Special Graces. — Knowledge of Future 

Events 219 

Chapter III.— Death of the Servant of God . . . 227 

The Spiritual Works of the Venerable Louis Grig- 
non de montfort 232 

Chapter I. — The Judgment of the Holy See respecting 

the writings of the Venerable Grignon de Montfort 237 

Chapter II. — The Book entitled the Love of Eternal 

Wisdom 240 

Chapter III. — The work upon Devotion to the Blessed 

Virgin 244 

Chapter IV. — Objections against the Doctrine of Grig- 
non de Montfort 251 

Chapter V. — Answer to Objections. — Manifestations of 
the Blessed Virgin. — Apparition of the Saints in 
those latter times ....... 257 

Chapter VI. — The Blessed Virgin as Mediatrix . . 261 

Chapter VII. — The particular Devotion which the Au- 
thor proposes 264 

The Venerable Louis Mary Chanel . . . 270 

Chapter I.— Early Life of Chanel . . . .271 

Chapter II. — Letters connected with the Mission and 

Martyrdom of Father Chanel 278 

Chapter III. — Letter of Bishop Bataillon respecting 
Father Chanel. — Letter of Cardinal Barnabo, Pre- 
fect of the Propaganda, requesting the Canonization 287 

Chapter IV. — Relation of the Promoter of the Faith. — 

Decree respecting the beatification of Father Chanel 204 



VI CONTENTS. 

Martyrs of Corea, Tonqutn, Cochin China, and China 301 
Chapter I. — An Account of the Martyrs of Corea . 302 

Chapter II.— The Martyrs of Cochin China . . . 334 
Chapter IH— The Martyrs of Tonquin . . .339 
Chapter IV.— The Martyrs of China . . . .346 



PEEFACE. 

The following narratives have been com- 
piled from the acts of the Congregation of 
Kites. All, except the account of the life 
of Anna Maria Taige, bear on them the 
mark of apostolic sanction, as the decrees 
which have been promulgated have received 
the approbation of the holy see. Her case, 
not having been as yet presented to the 
congregation of rites, rests upon its merits, 
and is an account of what will be proved 
when the process respecting her will be 
completed. 

The object which the writer has in view in 
committing this book to the press is to give a 
plain statement of the various circumstances 
connected with those saintly characters, which 
might prove, at the same time, both inter- 



8 PREFACE. 

esting and instructive. If the reader expects 
to find beauty of style, or elegance of dic- 
tion, he will be mistaken, for the simpler 
the manner in which a mere statement of 
facts is made the more likely is it to make 
an impression. 

New Tore, July, 1859. 



A BRIEF ACCOUNT 



FOEM OBSEKVED BY THE CHUECH 



CANONIZATION OF SAINTS. 



On all matters connected with the canoni- 
zation of saints, Benedict XIV. is considered 
the chief authority. He has written at length 
on this subject, and from him all succeed- 
ing writers have drawn any information they 
have communicated to others respecting this 
matter. The most ancient form of canoniza- 
tion we have, is that connected with the mar- 
tyrs in early times. The church, after the 
death of St. Ignatius and St. Polycarp, acted 
thus with respect to them. — Veneration was 
decreed to be paid to them, and a day was set 
apart in honor of the martyrs. This venera- 
tion consisted in revering the martyrs as the 
disciples and imitators of our Lord. Their 



10 CANONIZATION OF SAINTS. 

relics also were respected by the faithful. 
We carefully collected his bones, "as being 
more precious than gems, and more pure than 
gold, and deposited them in a fit place, at 
which we pray God to enable us to assemble 
to celebrate the day of his birth by martyr- 
dom, in order both to preserve the memory 
of those who have passed through this glori- 
ous conflict, and to teach and confirm posteri- 
ty by their example." Such is the account we 
read in the letter of the church of Smyrna 
recording the martyrdom of St. Polycarp. St. 
Cyprian, St. Basil, St. Optatus, and other Fa- 
thers, tell us that the same practice prevailed 
in succeeding ages respecting other martyrs. 
The acts of martyrdom were examined with 
the greatest caution, even as early as the time 
of St. Clement. This saint and his successors 
in the chair of St. Peter, St. Fabian and St. 
Anterus, appointed sworn notaries, one in 
each of the different districts of the city, to 
collect the acts of the martyrs. St. Fabian 
appointed persons to inspect their proceedings, 
and to provide for the correctness of these acts. 
"When these were collected together, an ex- 
amination took place respecting all the state- 
ments contained in them. They inquired if 
the person to whom these referred died in the 



CANONIZATION OF SAINTS. 11 

unity of the Church, if his motives were pure 
and free from any vain- glory, and if the cause 
of his death had been in defence of the faith. 
To the bishop of the diocese belonged the 
duty of pronouncing the ecclesiastical sentence 
consequent upon their examination. In Africa 
this was usually reserved to the primate at 
the head of a council. Circular letters were 
addressed to the other churches throughout 
the world to communicate the acts of the mar- 
tyr to them. From a very early period it was 
usual to send information to the Pope, and to 
request his approval of the veneration which 
they were desirous of having paid to the saint. 
Confessors do not appear to have been the 
object of the veneration of the faithful at such 
an early period as the martyrs ; but it is cer- 
tain that the same careful scrutiny was made 
into their claims ; and the ancient canons tes- 
tify that this required the subsequent confir- 
mation of the ecclesiastical sentence by the 
Pope. Benedict XIV. concludes from this 
that the right of decreeing Beatification, 
which consisted in commanding veneration to 
be paid to the servant of God, in the diocese 
or province, belonged to the bishop. Whereas 
the act of canonization, or the proposing him 
as such to the universal Church, was reserved 



12 CANONIZATION OF SAINTS. 

to the Popes ; and if a bishop did so, it was 
with the tacit or expressed consent of the holy 
father. Alexander III., in 1181, reserved this 
right to the Holy See, by whom it has been 
exercised ever since his time. Doctors dis- 
puted whether it was the intention of Rome 
to confine to itself the power of beatification. 
Urban VIII. removed all doubt respecting 
this matter by the decree which he published 
reserving this faculty. 

During the middle ages the five following 
methods were adopted in the canonization of 
saints : 

1. The Popes pronounced the decrees for 
the canonization of saints, in minor or in gen- 
eral councils, or with the advice of the fathers 
of the council, out of the council itself. 2. The 
Popes often issued these decrees with the 
assistance of cardinals and bishops. 3. After 
the whole process or examination taken in the 
cause had been submitted to certain auditors 
of the Rota, called the Pope's Chaplains, or to 
other pious and learned persons, it was pre- 
sented to the consistory in which the final de- 
cision was pronounced. 4. In addition to the 
previous examination by the auditors of the 
Rota, the process was inquired into by a cardi- 
nal, and afterwards by the consistory. 5. In- 



CANONIZATION OF SAINTS. 13 

stead of one Cardinal, there were sometimes 
substituted a Cardinal Bishop, a Cardinal 
Priest, and a Cardinal Deacon. 

Sixtus V., in 1587, established the Congrega- 
tion of Rites, and ordained that, in addition to 
other duties, it should take cognizance of all 
causes respecting canonizations before they 
could be referred to the general consistory, 
composed of all the Cardinals, Archbishops, 
and Bishops present in Rome. In the cause 
of B. Didacus, he adopted a course differ- 
ent from the ancient practice, or that now 
in use, by naming eight Cardinals, assisted 
by theologians and canonists, to perform the 
duties which are now reserved to the Congre- 
gation of Rites. This congregation consists of 
a Cardinal prefect, and a number of Cardinals 
who undertake the office of the " ponents," or 
reporters in the cause, a prothonotary and a 
secretary, the promoter and the sub-promoter 
of the faith, consulters, auditors of the rota, 
advocates, physicians, surgeons, an archivist, 
and interpreters of the processes, if they are 
written in a foreign idiom. The duty of the 
secretary is to prepare reports on each case, 
submit them to the Pope, and publish the de- 
crees issued by his Holiness at each stage of 
the proceedings. 
2 



14 CANONIZATION OF SAINTS. 

Causes of canonization regard either mar- 
tyrs or confessors. Some of these have been 
going on since the time of Urban YIIL, or 
belong to servants of God, who lived before 
his time, and are more or less affected by the 
different decrees of that Pope. Some are in- 
troduced in the ordinary way, styled via non 
cultus, showing that no veneration has been 
paid them by the faithful. Others form ex- 
ceptions to this rule, and are said to be intro- 
duced in the extraordinary way. It will only 
be necessary to treat of the two last, as nearly 
all the modern cases are comprised under 
them. 

The holy see never receives or entertains 
any cause, unless it can be proved that the 
servant of God enjoyed a reputation for sanc- 
tity and miracles, and that no public venera- 
tion has been paid to him on this account. The 
whole cause is said to be introduced by the 
way of non-veneration. 

The ordinary of the diocese from which the 
cause is brought to Borne, by virtue of his own 
authority, draws up two processes, in which 
he declares that the deceased enjoyed reputa- 
tion for sanctity, and that the decrees of Urban 
YIIL, forbidding public honors to be given 
without the permission of the Holy See, have 



CANONIZATION OF SAINTS. 15 

been complied with. As soon as these pro- 
cesses reach the holy city, the postulators in 
the cause, who are usually appointed by the 
parties desirous of obtaining the beatification 
or canonization, humbly petition the Congre- 
gation to allow them to be opened, and wit- 
nesses are called to prove the genuineness of 
the documents. 

The next step is to obtain from the Pope the 
appointment of one of the cardinals, to fill the 
place of relator or ponent in the cause. 

If the servant of God have left any writings 
or any printed works, these are submitted 
to a careful examination and revision, as will 
be seen in the case of the Venerable Montfort 
de Grignon ; and, if it be found that they con- 
tain nothing contrary to faith or morals, or 
calculated to affect the progress of the cause, 
" the signing of the commission," as it is 
called, or the taking up the cause by the 
Pope's authority, is granted, provided ten 
years have elapsed since the process which 
was formed by the ordinary of the diocese was 
delivered to the congregation. This period, 
however, is often abridged, as will be seen in 
several of the following causes by permission 
of the Holy See. 

The next step is to have letters called remis- 



16 CANONIZATION OF SAINTS. 

sorials addressed to those Bishops whose 
dioceses are in the neighborhood of the place 
where the processes are to be made, instruct- 
ing them, by virtue of the authority given by 
the Pope, to draw up a document containing 
proofs that the deceased enjoys generally a 
reputation for sanctity and miracles. If the 
process containing this general statement be 
approved of by the Congregation of Rites, 
other letters are forwarded to the same dele- 
gates, ordering them to receive evidence on 
each virtue and miracle in particular, and for- 
ward the result of their inquiry to Rome. 
When the validity of this process is proved, 
the congregation proceeds to examine the vir- 
tues and miracles in detail. But before this 
can take place, fifty years must have elapsed 
since the death of the servant of God. This 
examination is made in three different meetings. 
The first is called ante-preparatory, and is held 
at the residence of the cardinal who is the 
relator or the ponent in the cause. The con- 
suiters of the Sacred Congregation, and the 
masters of the ceremonies, are present. The 
former, only, vote on this occasion, and the 
object of this meeting seems to be for the pur- 
pose of instructing the cardinal in the merits 
and difficulties of the cause, before he reports 



CANONIZATION OF SAINTS. IT 

upon it to the entire congregation. No men- 
tion of this ante-preparatory congregation is 
found in the decrees of Urban VIII. , or Inno- 
cent XL, as it was instituted after their time. 
The second examination is made in the con- 
gregation, called preparatory, which is held 
either in the Quirinal or in the Vatican, before 
the cardinals comprising the Congregation, the 
consulters of the Sacred Congregation, and the 
masters of the ceremonies. The consulters 
only vote on this occasion, as the object of 
the meeting seems to be to communicate in- 
formation respecting the cause to the cardinals 
before they deliver their opinions in the gen- 
eral meetings. In this, as in the ante-prepara- 
tory congregation, only one cause is discussed 
— connected with a beatification or a canoniza- 
tion — namely: the virtues, or the martyrdom, 
or the miracles of a servant of God. After 
these have completed their work, the general 
congregation is held in the presence of the 
Pope. The consulters and the cardinals give 
their vote in this assembly. The examination 
of the cause is usually proposed in the form of 
a doubt, whether the servant of God possessed 
the theological and cardinal virtues in an 
heroic degree; and until this has been de- 
cided in his favor, the question respecting the 



18 CANONIZATION OF SAINTS. 

miracles said to have been wrought through 
his intercession, cannot be entertained. When 
the Pope has received the votes of the con- 
suiters and of the cardinals, he requests all 
present to join with him in prayer to ask for 
the light of God upon his deliberations. 
When he has formed his decision respecting 
the matter, he summons the cardinal, the sec- 
retary, and the promoter of the faith, and 
orders a decree to be published, containing 
his approval of the virtues of the deceased, or 
of the point connected with the cause under 
discussion. 

The miracles reported to have been per- 
formed through the intercession o£ the saint 
are next examined in the three different con- 
gregations ; and after delaying until he has 
implored the light and aid of God, a second 
decree is issued by the Pope, approving of 
one or more of the miracles which have been 
proposed in the general congregation. In an- 
other general congregation, the following ques- 
tion is discussed : " seeing that the miracles 
and virtues of the servant of God have been 
approved of, is it safe to proceed to the beatifi- 
cation or canonization of the servant of God?" 
Should this be decided in the affirmative, the 
cause is proceeded with in accordance with 



CANONIZATION OF SAINTS. 19 

the decree which is made by the Holy Fa- 
ther. 

It is required that two-thirds of the suffrages 
be in favor of the cause, otherwise it cannot 
be proceeded with. The promoter of tho. faith 
must be consulted at every stage of the case, 
and it is his duty to bring forward every ob- 
jection that he may deem fit against the 
proofs of the virtues and miracles of the ser- 
vant of God ; and, in order to enable him to 
do so, he must be furnished with all the depo- 
sitions and informations taken in the cause. 
His arguments are stated in writing, and the 
advocates, or the postulators, prepare their 
reply. 

When all these doubts have been removed, 
the Pope appoints a day for the solemn beati- 
fication of the servant of God, Avho then re- 
ceives the title of Blessed. Sometimes the 
examination of the cause proceeds in a differ- 
ent way, as in the case of the martyrs of Oce- 
anica, China, Tonquin, and Cochin-China. It 
is referred to a particular congregation, which 
consists of some of the cardinals selected for 
this purpose by the Holy See. The secretary 
and the promoter of the faith are required to 
be present. Sometimes the consulters form 
part of this congregation. 



20 CANONIZATION OF SAINTS. 

Urban YIIL allowed the causes of saints to 
be introduced who had already received pub- 
lic veneration) provided that they had been 
honored from time immemorial by apostolic 
indult, or in the writings of the fathers and 
saints of the Church. In these cases the ordi- 
nary of the diocese pronounces that the de- 
ceased enjoyed a reputation for sanctity and 
miracles, and that the veneration paid to him 
has subsisted from time immemorial. If this 
veneration is approved of by the Congregation 
of Rites, the servant of God is deemed equiva- 
lent'! '// heatified. 

When there is reason to believe that addi- 
tional miracles have been wrought since the 
beatification of the saint, the postulators hum- 
bly petition the congregation to obtain the 
signing of the commission for resuming the 
cause, and the expediting of fresh remissorials 
to persons appointed for the purpose, instruct- 
ing them to receive evidence of the miracles 
reported to have taken place. When this 
process is transmitted to Rome, it is examined 
with the same rigor as the former in these 
congregations. If the decision is favorable, 

CO 7 

the final question proposed is, " Whether, 
after the approval of miracles, it is safe to 
proceed to the canonization ?" Two miracles 



CANONIZATION OF SAINTS. 21 

v 

are required before beatification, and two 
more, which have taken place since, before 
canonization. After the three congrega- 
tions have pronounced their opinion, the de- 
cree is issued, ordering the canonization to 
take place. Petitions are addressed to the 
Pope from different nations and sovereigns, 
to induce him to decree the canonization. 
When the time has been determined, the Pope 
summons a secret consistory of the cardinals, 
to whom a summary of the virtues and mira- 
cles of the saint has been previously submit- 
ted. The same document is also read in the 
consistory, and each cardinal answers, Placet 
or Non placet, when his vote is asked. A 
public consistory is afterwards held, and pub- 
lic prayers are ordered to be offered up, and 
finally, a semi-public consistory, at which the 
cardinals, patriarchs, and bishops in Pome 
attend, and each gives his vote on the cause. 
The day for the solemnization of the canoniza- 
tion is announced, when the ceremony is per- 
formed with all the pomp usual on such occa- 
sions. 

A question naturally connected with the 
subject of canonization will be asked by 
every intelligent reader: Is the Pope infallible 
in decreeing the canonization of saints? 



22 CANONIZATION OF SAINTS. 

St. Thomas {Quodlib. 9, art. 16) thus puts the 
objection, and replies to it : " Xone can be as 
certain of his state as the person himself, be- 
cause, as we read in 1 Cor. ii. 11, ' For what 
man knoweth the things of a man, but the 
spirit of a man that is in him ? ' But no man 
can be certain of himself whether he is in a 
state of salvation or not, for we find in Eccles. 
ix. 1, ' Man knoweth not whether he be wor- 
thy of love or hatred ;' therefore, much less 
can the Pope know ; therefore, he ma} T err in 
canonizing. Besides, whoever, in judging, re- 
lies on a fallible medium, may err, but the 
Church, in canonizing saints, relies on human 
testimony, since it inquires into the life and 
miracles of the servant of God through the 
means of witnesses. Therefore, since the tes- 
timony of men is fallible, it seems that the 
Church may err in canonizing saints." Thus 
St. Thomas states the difficulty, and he replies 
to it in the following manner : " In the first 
place, it may be said that the Pope, whose 
duty it is to canonize saints, may be made 
certain of the state of any person by inquiring 
into his life, by testimony about his miracles, 
and also by the inspiration of the Holy Ghost, 
4 who searcheth all things, even the profound 
things of God.' And in the second place we 



CANONIZATION OF SAINTS. 23 

say, that Divine Providence preserves the 
Church from being deceived in such matters 
by the fallible testimony of men." In the 
third place, as the veneration of saints is a 
certain profession of our faith, it follows that 
the judgment of the Pope respecting this 
should be infallible ; and he adds : " It is cer- 
tain that the Church cannot err in things be- 
longing to faith; therefore we must follow 
the judgment of the Pope, to whom it belongs 
to determine in matters of faith. In other 
things which belong to particular facts, when 
we treat of possessions or of criminal actions, 
or on things of this description, it is possible 
that the Church may err, on account of false 
testimony. The canonization of saints holds 
a middle place between these two matters, as 
the honor which we give the saints is a pro- 
fession of faith in which we believe in the 
glory of the saint. It must be piously be- 
lieved that the Church cannot err in these." 
" This opinion," says Fagnanus (vol. iii., p. 199), 
" pleases me much, because it is the opinion 
of St. Thomas, who, in matters of this de- 
scription, before he wrote, was always in- 
structed either by reason or by revelation, and 
also because his teaching was always approved 
of by the Church." 



24 CANONIZATION OF SAINTS. 

The consulters, of whom mention has been 
made, are selected from the Dominicans, the 
Franciscans, and the Jesuits. Benedict XIII. 
added to these, persons taken from the Con- 
ventualists, from the Barnabites, and the Ser- 
vites. 

The promoter of the faith votes in these 
different congregations. All the documents 
connected with the cause must be communi- 
cated to him, and he must be present at every 
meeting. It is his usual practice to urge 
difficulties and objections, as will be seen in 
the following causes. Though some of these 
may appear of a trivial nature, yet they serve 
to make the sanctity of the servants of God 
stand out in a bolder light, and as capable of 
being made shine brighter by all the objec- 
tions which may be offered against it. He is 
appointed by the Pope, from the body of the 
consistorial advocates. The first mention of 
this office is in the bull of Leo X., in the 
cause of the canonization of St. Laurence 
Justinian. Besides seeing that all is done in 
perfect canonical order, and making the ne- 
cessary objections in every stage of the cause, 
he is often consulted by the Holy Father and 
also by the cardinals, when he is bound to 



CANONIZATION OF SAINTS. 25 

return true, and correct opinions, on every 
point submitted to him. 

The postulators are those to whom persons 
interested in the canonization intrust their 
case. They usually reside in Rome, and sup- 
ply all the information connected with the 
cause to the congregation and its officers. 

To any unprejudiced mind it will appear, 
from what has been already stated, that the 
greatest care is taken in the process of canon- 
ization, and that nothing is admitted which 
bears on it the least possible mark of doubt, 
in reference to any of the proofs which are 
required in the different parts of the process. 
To show that in former times the same dili- 
gence w T as made use of, it will be only neces- 
sary to refer to the cases' which have been 
collected by Benedict XIV., in his work on 
the canonization of saints, where he treats of 
this. When the miracles of the saint are to be 
examined, physicians and surgeons are con- 
sulted by the congregation, and their opinion 
is required on this point, " if they could have 
been performed by natural means ;" nor will 
the congregation accept of any miracle that is 
offered to it as sufficient for the beatifica- 
tion or canonization of the servant of God. 
In a cause which was presented to the congre- 
3 



26 CANONIZATION OF SAINTS. 

gation about a century ago, more than one 
hundred miracles were mentioned by the 
postulators as having been wrought through 
the intercession of the saint, but only one out 
of this number was approved of, and the 
cause was delayed until it pleased God to 
perform another miracle, through the inter- 
cession of the saint. The circumstance has 
been often related of an English gentleman 
who was at Borne some time since, and who 
was given to read, by a prelate with whom he 
was intimate, a process containing the proofs 
which had been adduced in behalf of several 
miracles. On perusing it, he said, " If all the 
miracles which are held by the Church of 
Rome were established on this basis, there 
would be no difficulty in believing them, and 
you would not be charged with making the 
people give credit to pretended miracles." 
Much to his surprise, the prelate replied, 
"None of these have been admitted by the 
Congregation of Rites, as being sufficientlv 
proved." The writer can remember a case 
which came under his own observation. The 
case of blessed Paul of the cross had excited 
the attention of many pious persons, in conse- 
quence of the many miracles which had been 
wrought through his intercession. He had 



CANONIZATION OF SAINTS. 27 

been beatified by the present pontiff, and a 
lady, whose child was affected with deafness 
from her birth, was anxious to see if, through 
the intercession of the saint, any cure could be 
effected. She resolved to celebrate a noven- 
na, and mass was to be said every morning, 
and the priest was to apply the relic of the 
saint to the ears of the young girl. On the 
third morning, during the recital of the gloria 
in the mass, the child felt something fall from 
her ears, and she was suddenly able to hear 
the remainder of the service. All looked 
upon it as a miracle, and authentic proofs of 
it were forwarded to Rome, in order to be 
presented to the Congregation of Rites. The 
officer of the congregation refused to receive 
it, as not being sufficient for the canonization 
of the saint. Were the administration of 
justice in general carried on with the same 
fidelity as the canonization of saints is con- 
ducted, there would be less complaints made 
against it both in this and in other countries. 
Before the time of Benedict XI V., saints 
were canonized in different cities. The canon- 
ization of St. Edmund of Canterbury took 
place at Lyons, and that of St. Thomas Aqui- 
nas at Avignon, by John XXII. Nor was it 
always performed at Rome, in the church of 



28 CANONIZATION OF SAINTS. 

St. Peter, but that pontiff, by a bull pub- 
lished in 1741, decreed that, for the future, all 
beatifications and canonizations should take 
place in the Basilica. 

When the day has been fixed for the cere- 
mony of the beatification to take place, the 
cardinals, the prelates, and the consulters, 
who form the Congregation of Kites, assemble 
in St. Peter's, and take their place at the gos- 
pel side of the altar of the chair. The chap- 
ter of St. Peter's, with the cardinal archpriest, 
go to the epistle side. When all are seated, 
the postulator in the cause, accompanied by 
the secretary, approaches the cardinal prefect 
of the congregation, and, presenting him with 
the apostolic brief, demands its publication, 
which is made with the permission of the car- 
dinal archpriest in the usual form. The Yeil 
which covers the painting of the servant of 
God over the altar is then removed. The Te 
Deum is intoned, and the relic of the Ulessed 
is placed on the altar for the veneration of the 
faithful. The mass of the servant of God is 
said, and a plenary indulgence is granted to 
all who have the necessary qualification, and 
either assist at the mass or visit the church 
during the day. In the afternoon, the Holy 
Father, accompanied by the College of Cardi- 



CANONIZATION OF SAINTS. 29 

nals, goes to St. Peter's, to pay his devotions 
to the newly beatified. The chapter receive 
him with due solemnity, and the postulator in 
the cause presents to him a life of the saint, 
and a large bouquet of flowers, in honor of the 
event. 

The ceremony of the canonization is cele- 
brated on a much grander scale. The Pope 
appoints a prelate to preside over the arrange- 
ments of the function, and the expenses and 
details of the decoration of the church. A 
cardinal is named to the office of procurator 
of the canonization. When the day arrives, a 
solemn procession of all the secular and regu- 
lar clergy of Rome, differing but little from 
that of Corpus Christi, proceeds from the Vat- 
ican along the colonnade to the principal 
door of St. Peter's. All bear lighted tapers, 
and the standards of the new saints are carried 
by persons appointed for the purpose. The 
clergy, with the exception of those belonging 
to the patriarchal and minor Basilicas, do not 
enter the church, but take their places within 
the colonnade, allowing those who follow to 
pass between them in succession. The pon- 
tiff intones the Ave Maris Stella in the Six- 
tine chapel, and, vested in cope and mitre, 
a -«•(-! o 1 s the chair of state, when two large 
3* 



30 CANONIZATION OF SAINTS. 

tapers, richly decorated, together with a small 
er one, are presented to him by the cardinal 
procurator of the canonization. 

St. Peter's is decorated with rich hangings, 
and is splendidly illuminated. The standards 
of the saints are placed in the sanctuary, be- 
tween the tombs of the apostles, and the altar 
of the chair. On arriving at the chapel of the 
blessed sacrament, the Pope descends from his 
chair, and kneels in adoration. He is then 
borne to the throne, where he receives^ the 
homage of the cardinals and bishops. When 
all are arranged in their places, a master of 
ceremonies conducts the cardinal procurator, 
attended by a consistorial advocate, who, in 
the name of the cardinal, makes the following 
supplication: "The Most Reverend Cardinal, 
here present, earnestly petitions your Holiness 
to enroll amongst Christ's saints X. N.," nam- 
ing those who are about to be canonized. 
The Secretary of Briefs replies, in behalf of His 
Holiness, that the matter being of exceeding 
moment, it is necessary first to implore fer- 
vently the throne of Divine grace, and to in- 
Yoke"the intercession of the Holy Mother of 
God, and the holy apostles, and the other 
saints. The cardinal returns to his place, and 
the Pope, descending from the throne, kneels, 



CANONIZATION OF SAINTS. 31 

while two of the choir chant the litanies of the 
saints, the rest answering. Then, all take 
their seats, and the Pope ascends his throne. 
The cardinal procurator returns, and the con- 
sistorial advocate repeats the petition : " The 
Most Reverend Cardinal earnestly and more 
earnestly petitions your Holiness." The car- 
dinal assistant on his left hand then directs all 
to pray, as the Pope again kneels. All fall 
down and pray in silence, until the other as- 
sistant cardinal bids them rise. Then, all 
standing, the Pope intones the Veni Creator. 
All kneel until the first verse is finished, when 
they continue standing to the conclusion of 
the hymn. The prayer is then sung by the 
Pope. Once more the consistorial advocate 
supplicates for the canonization of the saints, 
adding, "earnestly, more earnestly, most ear- 
nestly." The Secretary replies, that His Holi- 
ness is now satisfied that God approves of the 
petition, and he is now resolved to pronounce 
the definite sentence, which he does in the 
following manner: "To the honor of the holy 
and undivided Trinity, the exaltation of the 
Catholic faith, and increase of Christianity — 
by the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ, of 
the blessed apostles Peter and Paul, and our 
own, after mature deliberation, repeated invo- 



62, CANONIZATION OF SAINTS. 

cation of the Divine help, and the counsel of 
our venerable brethren the cardinals of the 
holy Roman Church, the patriarchs, and arch- 
bishops dwelling in the City, we declare the 
blessed N. N". to be saints, and enroll them in 
the catalogue of the saints, enjoining the 
universal Church devoutly to reverence their 
memory, yearly, upon their natal day. In 
the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of 
the Holy Ghost. Amen." 

AVhen the Pope has delivered this solemn 
decision, the consistorial advocate declares the 
cardinal procurator's acceptance of it, and re- 
turning thanks to the Pope, asks him to order 
the apostolic letters to be expedited. To this 
the Pope accedes, and when certain forms 
have been gone through respecting them, the 
Pope intones the Te Deum, which is chanted 
by the choir. At the same moment, the 
sound of trumpets, and the bells of St. Peter's, 
announce the good news to the city, which is 
soon echoed by the drums, the cannon of 
St. Angelo, the pealing of the bells of the 
Capitol, and of every church in Rome, which 
continue ringing during an hour. 

The first who invokes the newly canonized 
by the title of Saint is the cardinal deacon, 
assisting on the right hand of the pontiff. At 



CANONIZATION OF SAINTS. 33 

the conclusion of the Te Deum he chants 
Orate pro nobis 8. &, naming the saints ; the 
choir respond, and the Pope sings the prayer. 
After the singing of the Confiteor, in which the 
names of the new saints are added, the Pope 
pronounces the benediction, adding in the 
prayer the names of the newly canonized, after 
those of St. Peter and St. Paul. Then follows 
the high mass, usually sung by the Pope, though 
it has been sometimes sang by a cardinal, 
when the Pope was not able to officiate. The 
Pope delivers a homily, treating of the virtues 
of the saints, after the gospel ; and at the offer- 
tory, or immediately after the canonization, 
if he does not celebrate, offerings are made 
which consist of wax tapers, two loaves, and 
two small barrels of wine, by the cardinal 
procurator and the Cardinals of the Congrega- 
tion of Rites, three in each cause, a cardinal 
bishop, a cardinal priest, and a cardinal dea- 
COH. In the canonization of St. Birgitta, in 
addition to these, two doves, and birds of dif- 
ferent kinds, were added. These Benedict 
XIII. and Benedict XIV. declined to receive, 
in the canonizations which they made ; Gre- 
gory XYI. adopted the same rale May 26th, 
1839, when St. Alphonsus, St. Francis of Gero- 
limo, St. Joseph of the Cross, St. Paciticus of 



34 CANONIZATION OF SAINTS. 

San Severino, and St. Veronica Juliana were 
added to the number of the saints. The 
causes of several holy persons who died in 
Ireland for the faith during the ages of perse- 
cution which passed over that land, ever faith- 
ful to St. Peter and the Mother of God, are 
before the congregation of rites. They remain 
in an unfinished state, and will continue so 
if some of her children do not interest them- 
selves in their behalf. 



HISTOEY 



CANONIZATION OF BLESSED CLAEE OF 
MONTEFALCO. 

The cause connected with the canonization 
of this saint merits the peculiar attention of 
the reader. The sanctity of blessed Clare is 
so great, the miracles with which her tomb 
lias been illustrated are so many, that they 
assign her a place amongst the most wondrous 
of the saints that have shed a glory on the 
Church militant. Nearly five centuries have 
rolled by since the cause for the canonization 
of this saint was commenced. It was in the 
pontificate of John XXII. that the first steps 
were taken respecting it, since then it has 
progressed slowly ; but now it seems to draw 
near its final consummation. 

Amongst the miracles by which God has 
been pleased to make known the sanctity ot 
blessed Clare, and which began immediately 
after her death, and have continued to the 



36 SAINTLY CHARACTERS. 

present time, in the first place must be men- 
tioned three globules, which were found in 
her body after her death, arranged in the shape 
of a triangle, and formed of a substance whose 
nature is not known. They are of the same 
weight, whether weighed singly or together; 
and form an admirable symbol of the mystery 
of the holy Trinity. On her heart was found 
a remarkable impression of the instruments of 
the passion. Her body has remained flexible 
and incorrupt during five centuries. When- 
ever trials and dangers have threatened the 
Church, or the authority or freedom of the 
Holy See, mysterious and extraordinary signs 
have taken place in relation to the body of 
the saint. 

The facts connected with these wonders are 
mentioned in the various processes which have 
been instituted in former times. They are 
said to have occurred at the time of Calvin 
and Luther. One of these prodigies is thus 
spoken of by Bozzi : — "I have seen," he says, 
" at Montefalco, where every one who chooses 
may behold it, a vessel full of the blood 
of blessed Clare. It is quite dry, without 
being reduced to powder after so many years. 
When any calamity menaces the Church, 
it becomes liquid, and appears to be in a 



BODY OF BLESSED CLARE. 37 

state of ebullition ; if the danger is great, it 
continues so for a long time ; and the greater 
the affliction with which God intends to visit 
the Church, the more violent is the agitation 
of the blood, and the longer the period during 
which it continues in this state. Such is the 
love which blessed Clare even yet retains for 
the Church, that her blood after death seems 
to speak of its future prospects." 

Respecting the signs which have been wit- 
nessed in more modern times, the inhabitants 
of Montefalco tell us that the body seemed to 
foretell the calamities which befell the Church, 
during the period of the French Revolution, 
which took place at the latter end of the last 
century. The body moved miraculously, and 
there were other manifestations which indi- 
cated clearly the struggles which were about 
to arise between an infidel philosophy and the 
authority of the Holy See. These prodigies 
were again renewed during the pontificate of 
Pius VII. In 1831, when " young Italy" was 
preparing to excite a disturbance amongst the 
population of Romagna, the body of blessed 
Clare turned one of its feet, and also its head. 
The town of Montefalco is in the diocese of 
Spoleto. At this period the present Pontiff, 
Pius IX., was the archbishop of that see. 
4 



38 SAINTLY CHARACTERS. 

From 1S47 to 1849, when revolutions were 
disturbing the governments of Europe, and 
when the temporal dominion of the Holy See 
was threatened by those unrighteous men who 
caused such trouble in the eternal city, the 
body of Blessed Clare thrice announced the 
progress of these evil machinations". The cir- 
cumstances connected with these last prodi 
gies were mentioned in a letter by the Arch- 
bishop of Spoleto, and were made a matter of 
judicial inquiry by the Congregation of Bites 
in 1851. 

Facts so astonishing in themselves, and con- 
tinuing during five centuries, have brought 
much celebrity to the cause of Blessed Clare 
of Montefalco. They show why the people 
and clergy have been so much interested in 
her canonization, and why she has obtained 
such devotion amongst the Augustinian order, 
to which she belonged. They also serve to 
account for the veneration which has been 
paid to Blessed Clare ever since the time of 
her death, and which seems equal to beatifi- 
cation. The Holy See has been supplicated to 
decree her formal canonization, according to 
the regulations established for that purpose. 
The cause was begun in the pontificate of 
Clement XH., and carried on through that 



blessed glare's body incorrruptible. 39 

of Benedict XIV. In 1850 and 1852, formal 
decrees were passed by the Holy See respect- 
ing her canonization. 



CHAPTER I. 

Commencement of the Cause under John XXII. — The 
Cardinal, Napoleon Urslnius. — Uroan VIII. — 
Clement X. 

Blessed Clare was a nun of the Angus- 
tin ian order, and died August IT, 1308, at 
Montefalco. She was remarkable both for her 
sanctity and for her miracles. Those which 
were made known after her death, and to which 
allusion has already been made, increased 
much the reputation for sanctity, which 
she already enjoyed. During her lifetime she 
had been honored as a saint, and after her* 
death she was venerated as such. Her body, 
which enjoyed the privilege of being incor- 
ruptible, was placed in an urn, like the relics 
of a saint, and the devotion which the faith- 
ful paid to it, caused it to be transferred to a 
more public place. The day on which she 
died became one of the principal feasts of 
Montefalco, and also of the Augnstinian order. 
The church and the convent in which Blessed 
Clare had lived were placed under her pro- 



40 SAINTLY CHARACTERS. 

tection. All the evidences of ecclesiastical 
veneration, such as the faithful are wont to 
pay to the saints, were given to her by differ- 
ent nations, by Bishops, by persons of eminent 
sanctity, and by the Popes themselves. 

After a few years, the Bishop of Spoleto 
opened an official inquiry into the life, vir- 
tues, and miracles of the saint, and demanded 
of John XXII. her canonization. Beranger 
Domadei went to Avignon, and made the re- 
quest in a public consistory, in the name of 
the Bishops of Spoleto, Assisium, Foligno, and 
of several prelates both secular and regular, 
and also in the name of the cities of Spoleto, 
Perugia, Foligno, and many other towns in the 
duchy of Spoleto. 

John XXII. intrusted the case of her can- 
onization to Xapoleon Ursinius, cardinal dea- 
con of St. Adrian. Upon the relation made 
by this cardinal in full consistory, the Pope 
gave a commission to the Bishops of Perugia 
and Orvieto and Reginald de St. Antheme, 
auditor of the causes in the pontifical palace, 
to draw up an account of the life, virtues, and 
miracles of Blessed Clare. In consequence 
of this commission, they examined 470 wit- 
nesses. The process which they drew up 
was, in accordance with the customs of the 



RELATION MADE BY THE CARDINALS. 41 

times, intrusted to three cardinals, who made 
their relation respecting it in a public con- 
sistory. Perigilio, the historian of Blessed 
Clare, states that the Pope would have de- 
creed her canonization, had not the calamitous 
times, and the troubles which arose in Chris- 
tendom, prevented his doing so. When the 
cause was resumed four centuries afterwards, 
this relation made by the cardinals served as 
the grounds on which the decree was passed 
respecting the heroic virtues of the saint. 

For three centuries after the time of John 
XXII. no movement appears to have been 
made respecting her canonization. During 
this time she received all the honors of public 
veneration. Urban VIII. had been Bishop 
of Spoleto, and was well acquainted with the 
reputation for sanctity which Blessed Clare 
enjoyed. In 1624 he granted a mass and 
office with a special prayer, to be recited in her 
honor. This privilege was first given to the 
Augustinian order, but was afterwards ex- 
tended to the diocese of Spoleto by a decree 
of the Congregation of Rites, dated September 
28, 1624. Clement X. approved of proper 
lessons for the office, and caused the name of 
Blessed Clare to be inscribed in the Roman 
martyrology in the following terms : — " On 
4 # 



42 SAItfTLY CHARACTERS. 

the 15th of the kalends of September, atMon- 
tefalco, in Umbria, the Blessed Clare, Virgin, 
of the order of St. Augustine. In her heart 
the mysteries of the passion of our Lord were 
renewed, and are venerated with the greatest 
devotion." 



CHAPTER II. 

The Cause resumed under Clement XII. — Approval of 
Constant Veneration. — Letters for the Beginning of 
a N~ew Process. 

Before a saint who has been venerated from 
time immemorial can be canonized, and thus 
obtain the homage of the Church universal, 
the canonical requirements must be fulfilled. 
If the saint be a confessor, his virtues must 
be subjected to examination ; if a martyr, 
the martyrdom must be judicially inquired 
into. The approbation of the veneration 
which has been paid to the saint does not 
include an approbation of the virtues or of 
the martyrdom. The veneration must be 
distinguished from the formal canonization, 
which requires the approval of the virtues 
and of the miracles. The following shows the 
manner, in which this process has been carried 
on, with respect to Blessed Clare of Monte- 
falco. 



PB0GKESS OF THE CAUSE. 43 

The devotion of the people, which increased 
continually, the constant miracle of her body 
still remaining incorruptible, with all its joints 
flexible, and the mysterious prodigies already 
spoken of, seemed to indicate that the servant 
of Grod merited the honor of a solemn canoni- 
zation. The cause was resumed before Clem- 
ent XII. , who signed the commission Feb. 
22, 1736. A decree of the Congregation of 
Rites, dated April 6, 1737, declares that it 
forms an exceptional case to the decrees of 
Urban VIII., and that there is evidence of 
public veneration being paid to Blessed Clare 
for more than one hundred years previous to 
the issuing of this decree. In August, 1738, 
the letters usual on such occasions were issued, 
ordering an inquiry to be made into the vir- 
tues and miracles of the saint. These were 
signed by Clement XII. In the following 
year the Congregation made a decree in favor 
of the saint, which was approved of by the 
Pope. During the next year a judicial in- 
quiry was ordered to be made in the city and 
diocese of Spoleto respecting the miracles and 
virtues of Blessed Clare. 

The old process that had been formed in 
the pontificate of John XXII., and the re- 
lation of the three cardinals, remained in a 



44 SAINTLY CHARACTERS. 

good state of preservation at the time of the 
judicial inquiry under Clement XII. It was 
sent to Rome, sealed and enclosed in a box, 
by the judges, from Spoleto. An account of 
it is preserved in the archives of the Congre- 
gation of Rites, who caused only the relation 
of the cardinals to be copied, in order to di 
minish the expense. It has now, however, 
disappeared, and cannot be found. The rela- 
tion of the cardinals is divided into four parts. 
The first of these contains an account of the 
life of Blessed Clare, beginning with her 
childhood, and ending with her going to her 
first hermitage. The second speaks of her 
dwelling in her second hermitage, and of the 
austerities of her penance. The third part 
gives the details of her elevation to the posi- 
tion of abbess, and the virtues which she 
practised in this situation. The fourth men- 
tions a prediction which she uttered respect- 
ing her death, and the heroic virtues which 
she displayed when it took place. This rela- 
tion was inserted in the summary of the cause 
made at this time. As no objection was 
offered by the promoter of the faith, there can 
be no doubt of its authenticity. Two or three 
pages of the document have been lost ; but 
they contained nothing material, except an 



MODERN MIRACLES. 45 

account of a vision, which a pious woman had, 
of the glorification of Blessed Clare at the 
moment of her death. 



CHAPTER III. 

The Sentence of the Holy See respecting the Virtues 
of Blessed Clare. 

Allusion has already been made to the 
miracles, which have occurred in connec- 
tion with the body of Blessed Clare. The 
following account of the modern ones was 
drawn up by the relators of the cause in 1851. 
" Respecting those miracles which have taken 
place in modern times, we can appeal to the 
testimony of him who now occupies the chair 
of St. Peter. When he ruled the Church of 
Spoleto, the body of Blessed Clare, by the 
motion of the feet, and by the turning of the 
head, indicated the new attempts which would 
be made against the Pontifical States. When 
a change was made in the Government of 
France, in 1831, certain conspirators, calling 
themselves ' Young Italy, 5 endeavored to ex- 
cite commotion amongst the inhabitants of 
Romagna. In the years 1847 and 1849, when 
similar attempts were renewed, and when the 
desire to promote the so called national hide- 



46 SAINTLY CHARACTERS. 

pendence proved partially successful, the 
Bishop of Spoleto wrote to the Cardinal Vicar, 
stating that Blessed Clare intimated the prog- 
ress of their machinations by the movements 
of her body at three different times." 

On the 7th of September, 1850, the Congre- 
gation of Rites pronounced in favor of the 
heroic virtues of Blessed Clare, and Pius IX. 
confirmed the sentence on the 13th of the 
same month. 

The following are the proofs, which were 
adduced, and which caused this decision to 
be given : — The ancient process made in the 
time of John XXII. having been lost, the 
famous relation made in the consistory by the 
cardinals was yet remaining in the summary 
of the cause made in 1742. This contained 
a narration of the common tradition prevailing 
at Montefalco, and in other places, respecting 
Blessed Clare, together with the accounts of 
several authors who had written her life. The 
archives of the monastery of Montefalco sup- 
plied considerable portions of the ancient pro- 
cess. The nuns, anxious, if possible, to obtain 
the original documents, caused a strict search 
to be made, when some portions of the MSS. 
were discovered, written in Gothic characters 
of the fourteenth century. The language, the 



PEOOFS OF HER VIRTUES. 47 

style, and the testimony of the witnesses, 
show its antiquity. When these were discov- 
ered, judgment was ahout being delivered 
respecting the virtues of the saint. The pro- 
moter of the faith had already presented his 
objections, which had been answered by the 
postulators. Although the introduction of these 
testimonies would naturally retard the progress 
of the cause, the postulators resolved to present 
them to the Sacred Congregation. The pro- 
moter of the faith found in them materials for 
further objections. Another difficulty also pre- 
sented itself — to what did these newly discov- 
ered fragments belong ? Were they a part of the 
process made in the time of John XXII., or 
merely the inquiry which had been instituted 
by the Bishop of Spoleto? The original pro- 
cess had been sent to Home in 1742 ; and it 
had not been proved that the Congregation 
restored it to the convent of Montefalco. 
These documents, which had been lately dis- 
covered, had several vacant parts which were 
not written on. This was not found in those 
presented to the congregation in 1742. It 
appeared, however, that they contained certain 
passages, which agreed with those extracts 
made by the promoter of the faith in 1742 
from the process of John XXII. Whatever 



48 SAINTLY CHARACTERS. 

conclusions might be come to, it seemed that 
the virtues of the saint would now be more 
clearly proved. For not only would the rela- 
tion of the cardinals made in the consistory 
bear witness to these, but also the testimony 
of historians worthy of credit, and the con- 
stant voice of tradition would show that she 
was worthy of the veneration, which had been 
paid to her during five centuries. Accordingly 
the Sacred Congregation made the customary 
decree respecting the virtues of the saint, 
which was confirmed by the Holy Father, 
who also gave the necessary permission 
to proceed with the canonization, and to ad- 
duce the proofs required for the approbation 
of the miracles. 



CHAPTER IV. 

Objections made by the Promoter of ike Faith to the 
Virtues of Blessed Clare. 

Before proceeding to state the evidence by 
which the miracles of the saint were proved, 
it may be interesting to mention the objections 
made by the promoter of the faith to the 
heroic virtues of Blessed Clare. They are as 
follows : — The fact of her having broken the 
vow which she made in her youth, never to 



STATEMENT OP THE CARDINALS. 49 

look a man in the face ; secondly, that when 
dying she received the sacraments from a her- 
etic ; thirdly, that she was on terms of friend- 
ship with suspected persons ; and, in the 
fourth place, that she had been guilty of 
errors against humility. 

The three cardinals, who composed the rela- 
tion made in the time of John XXII., which 
has been so frequently alluded to, state that 
Blessed Clare had never committed a mortal 
sin. " Although," write the cardinals, "we 
have received statements against Blessed Clare 
respecting her general mode of life, and also 
about her actions on particular occasions, 
we have never been able to discover that she 
committed a mortal sin, either by word or 
deed. We have examined, not only those 
persons who lived with her, but those who had 
heard her confessions, from the period of her 
childhood to her death; and also two persons, 
who had voluntarily presented themselves 
to give their testimony. Ail these witnesses 
testified on oath that they never knew Blessed 
Clare to have committed a mortal sin, and that 
she avoided venial sins with the greatest 
care — often saying, for the good instruction 
of the sisters, that it was easy to fall into 
grievous sins, if we committed venial ones." 

5 



50 SAINTLY CHARACTERS. 

Such was the zeal of Blessed Clare that she 
made a resolution, when she was a little child, 
that she would never look a man in the face. 
Some doubts existed as to whether this should 
be considered as a vow, or merely as a prom- 
ise. The promoter of the faith wished to re- 
gard it in the former light. To this the pos 
tulators objected, showing, by many proofs, 
that it should be looked upon only as a simple 
promise. Amongst others, they mentioned a 
conversation which Blessed Clare had with 
some of the sisters shortly before her death. 
"As for me," said the saint, "I can, through 
the grace of God, say, with good conscience, 
that I never beheld the face of a man during 
the entire period of my life. Should I see 
any of those persons about the house 1 could 
not recognize them." She also added that if 
one of those men came, and threw her into the 
adjoining river, she would not know who it 
was, for she would be certain not to lift up 
her eyes to look at him. She also reproached 
herself severely for having by chance seen a 
man, who was passing before the grate of the 
choir, when she wished to contemplate the 
sacred host at the moment of the elevation. 
She left the following order to her religious : 
"That they were to avoid all conversation 



ANSWERS TO OBJECTIONS. 51 

with men ; and when they approached the 
grate they were to keep it covered with a 
double black veil ; and that' they were never 
to see any male persons, unless their fathers, 
their brothers, their uncles, or their nephews." 
Her own practice was, that, if any person 
approached the grate, she always went away, 
or, if it wa3 necessary for her to speak to 
them, she generally retired behind the wall, 
or placed a veil before the window. 

It would appear, with respect to the 
second objection of Blessed Clare having made 
her confession to a secret heretic when dying, 
that it loses all its weight under the following 
circumstances : — -The heresy of the Fratricelli 
at this time disturbed a great number of per- 
sons — 'especially the Franciscan order. The 
confessor to whom allusion is made in the 
objection of the promoter of the faith, was 
called Brother Joannutius. It was Brother 
Thomas, who assisted her in her last hours, 
and heard her last confession. The Bishops 
and not the religious, appoint the chaplains, 
and the confessors to the convent. Jane, the 
mother abbess, gives the following account 
of this matter : — " Clare was seized with the 
malady of which she afterwards died. Brother 
Joannutius came to the monastery to hear her 



52 SAINTLY CHARACTERS. 

confession. Clare did not know that he was 
a heretic, for in conversing with her he so ar- 
ranged his words, as to make Clare believe 
that his sentiments coincided with hers. 
Clare had her suspicions respecting him, and 
told him so in this same confession ; to which 
he replied that he believed exactly as she 
did." As Brother Joannutius had never been 
excommunicated, his absolution was valid ; 
and had Blessed Clare, in consequence of her 
suspicions, refused to make her confession to 
him, she would have caused both surprise 
and scandal. She did not know lie was 
a heretic. But, so great was her zeal for 
the true faith, she wished to satisfy her doubts. 
Nor did she make her confession until she 
had heard the protestations made by Joannn- 
tins, that his opinions agreed with hers. 

The heresy of the Fratricelli had gained 
over to it a great number of the Franciscans. 
These men declaimed against the Popes and 
the Church. Under a pretence of desiring to 
practise the rule of poverty in all its strictness, 
they wandered about from house to house 
asking alms, and stated that our blessed Lord 
and the apostles possessed nothing, either as 
their own property, or in common. For 
nearly two centuries they troubled the peace 



THE FRATRICELLI. 53 

of Europe, by the disorders which they com- 
mitted, and by the wicked lives which they 
led. Daring the lifetime of blessed Clare, 
they infested Umbria, and even Montefalco 
itself; but were afraid to make themselves 
known, lest condign punishment might have 
been inflicted on them. Blessed Clare was 
deeply attached to the Church, which she 
defended, as long as she was able, against the 
calumnies and impostures of those heretics. 
AVhen Brother John, the confessor of the 
monastery, desired to be convinced of his 
errors, she allowed herself no repose until she 
brought him back to the true faith. Those 
whom she did not convince, she denounced to 
the proper ecclesiastical authorities. She 
often said to the religious of her convent: — 
" Do not be moved from the true faith. Re- 
member that you are the true children of the 
old Church founded by God. Listen not to 
the novelties of Satan, which his ministers, 
who conduct souls to perdition, are constantly 
preaching." She did not allow any to ap- 
proach her convent, unless those who were 
Bpiritually-friinded persons. She would often 
Bay : — " Converse with such a person ; " 
"avoid this man, for he is not well dis- 
posed." To one, whose only title to be called 
5* 



54 SAINTLY CHARACTERS. 

a member of a religion, was his wearing the 
habit, she said, when he approached the grate 
of her convent : — " Do not come here, for I 
do not desire to see you. I shall pray to God 
that he may give you the grace, and light 
which you have so much need of." 

The objection of her holding communica- 
tion with suspected persons, has no better 
foundation than the preceding ones. It states 
that she had two chaplains — one of whom died 
in prison for heresy ; and that the other, at 
the time that the relation was made by the 
cardinals, was yet in confinement for the same 
offence. The author of the deposition, upon 
whose authority this statement was made, 
seems to have been one of those witnesses who, 
when questioned by the cardinals, were obliged 
to allow that they never knew her to be 
guilty of mortal sin; and, also, a person 
with whom she disputed with great earnest- 
ness. When she could not convince him 
of his errors, she gave information to those 
whose duty it was to see, that he would not 
lead other persons astray. To communicate 
with asecret heretic has never been considered, 
as an obstacle to persons being canonized, 
as may be seen in the cases of St. Vincent of 
Paul, and St. Jane of Chantal ; who, though 



HER MANNER OF LIVING. 55 

the j had intercourse with the first Jansenists, 
yet were afterwards added to the catalogue 
of the saints. It was also stated respecting 
Blessed Clare that she lived on good bread 
and electuaries. The following is a true ac- 
count of her usual mode of living : — " She eat 
in general nothing but bread, and this usually 
of the coarsest description — sometimes a few 
wild herbs w r ere added to this. Often days 
were allowed to pass without her ever tasting 
even bread. Apples and other fruits, which 
sometimes were gathered after they had fallen 
from the trees, she deemed too great a luxury. 
She seemed to look upon it as committing a 
great excess when she fed on diy beans, 
or even allowed them to be soaked in 
water." 

The MSS. which in 1850 had been discov- 
ered in Montefalco, supplied the defender of 
the faith with fresh matter respecting the 
fourth objection, which states that she had 
done many things, which seemed contrary to 
humility. The following is a brief account 
of what was alleged by the promoter of the 
faith, and by the postulators of the cause on 
this point. 

" The surest way," says St. Augustine, " to 
go to heaven is, in the first place, by humility ; 



56 SAINTLY CHARACTERS. 

in the second place, by humility ; and, in the 
third place, by humility ; and so would I 
answer as often as you would put the question 
to me." All the virtues seem to unite in him 
who is endowed with profound humility. To 
say a person has not this virtue, is as much as 
to affirm he is gifted with none. Blessed 
Clare, proceeds the defender of the faith in 
making his objections, seems to have often 
sinned against humility, for there is no virtue 
or supernatural gift, which she did not boast 
that she possessed. She nattered herself that 
in her infancy she had a faith so perfect, a 
confidence so deep, a puritv so great, that she 
might hope to obtain from God all she de- 
sired. Sister Marina stated that she "heard 
Blessed Clare say that in her youth she had 
such faith, that she believed she could get 
from God all she required.'' Sister Jane, also, 
added that she heard her make similar state- 
ments. A few years before her death, she 
told some persons, that so great was her faith 
that she was not afraid to tell it to all the 
world. This, adds the promoter, cannot 
be called humility. She often mentioned the 
love which she had for God, the prayers 
which she had made in her infancy, the affec- 
tion which the passion of our Lord caused in 



OBJECTIONS TO HER HUMILITY. 57 

her, and the ardent desire which she had to 
serve him. She often told the sisters " that 
the anxiety she had for their salvation, 
and for the welfare of the monastery, was so 
great that she esteemed as nothing, in com- 
parison to it, her own peace and her bodily 
wants. She said at another time that she had 
recommended the soul of a sinner to God in 
her prayers, and seeing that these were 
totally rejected, she took on herself all that 
person's* sins, and thus obtained her conver- 
sion. This seems, continues the promoter, as 
if she desired to obtain glory by alluding to 
the favor which she had with God, and as if 
she wished to excite admiration by mentioning 
the charity, which she had for her neighbor. 
She also spoke to the sisters in the following 
manner : — " Many of those who came to the 
monastery have done so, to show not what 
they are, but what they are not." She 
had reproved two of the sisters of the convent 
for committing acts of dishonesty. She also 
accused others of thoughts, or secret tempta- 
tions, which they at first denied, but after- 
wards confessed. Sister Teresa also deposed 
that she heard Blessed Clare say, that 
she had reproved a friar for having an 
improper temptation, or a diabolical illusion, 



58 SAINTLY CHARACTERS. 

and that the sisters did not wish him to come, 
and say mass at the convent. 

The same sister also adds that she heard 
Blessed Clare tell how exactly she guarded 
the silence, prescribed from the evening before 
to the next day after tierce, and that she re- 
solved to keep it all day ; and if any person 
dared to say a word to her, she would make 
them stand in snow, with their arms stretched 
out, as long as they were saying a hundred 
" our Fathers." Sister Marina states that 
she heard her praising, in like manner, her 
own profound obedience, her watchfulness, 
and her patience in trials and sufferings. The 
same sister adds that she sometimes eat only 
acorns ; and that she heard her say she baked 
her bread in the ashes, and loved fasting so 
much, that she resolved to live on bread and 
water for the remainder of her days. She 
also made the other sisters acquainted with 
her macerations, with her wearing hair shirts, 
and her other penances. Blessed Clare also 
told how much she disliked praise, and how 
she loved to be despised ; that she was pained 
when people spoke well of her; and but for 
the sake of the monastery, she would bring 
on herself some infamy, and cause people to 
talk ill of her, as far as she could do so 



ANSWERS OF THE POSTULATORS. 59 

without offending God. The promoter of the 
faith charges her also with speaking in the 
same manner respecting divine apparitions, 
her encounters with Satan, her visions, and 
her supernatural gifts. That she told Sister 
Marina that she had lost the grace of consola- 
tion which she had experienced in the passion 
of our Lord, who had shown his sufferings to 
her as they had taken place, and that the 
cause of this was her speaking of it to another 
sister. "When she was dying, she spoke of 
the visions of the saints with which she was 
then favored. 

The postulators in the cause replied to these 
objections in the following manner: — To 
praise one's self is an action in itself indifferent, 
and depends on the motives from which it is 
done. It does not savor of boasting or of 
imperfection to make these actions known to 
our friends. Such communications are often 
lawful, are calculated to do much good, and 
are sometimes necessary." "A sincere friend," 
says St. Augustine, " conceals nothing ; he 
opens his soul as our Lord opened his myster- 
ies to his heavenly Father." This changes 
the nature of the animadversions which have 
been offered respecting the communications 
made by Blessed Clare to the sisters or to the 



60 SAINTLY CHARACTERS. 

novices. Another principle, also, may be 
applied : that when there is a doubt whether 
the manifestation of these gifts or virtues on 
the part of a servant of God are to be attrib- 
uted to a spirit of boasting or not, the doubt 
should be thus resolved — that if the virtue of 
humility in a heroic degree has been proved 
in the other, acts of the cause, the making 
known these supernatural graces and gifts 
should be attributed to a desire for the glory 
of God and the salvation of souls. They can- 
not be ascribed to any other motive without 
being in danger of forming a rash judgment. 
St. Paul, in his second epistle to the Corinth- 
ians, praises himself, relates his greatness, 
and the graces which God lias given him. 
He says that he labored more and suffered 
more than the other apostles. He speaks of 
his revelations and of his raptures in the third 
heaven. When this was not necessary for the 
good of others, he knew well how to humble 
himself, and say that he did not deserve to be 
called an apostle, who was the greatest of 
sinners, and had persecuted the Church of 
Christ. In the founder of an order, the nar- 
ration of virtues and of gifts are lawful and 
necessary, to the end that their followers and 
spiritual children may be edified. It must 



ANSWERS TO THE OBJECTIONS. 61 

never be forgotten that they are often inspired 
by God to reveal, in their profound humility 
and simplicity, the secrets of their souls and 
the gifts which He has conferred upon them, 
for the benefit of others and for the advan- 
tages which will be derived from it. 

Let these rules be applied to the words of 
Blessed Clare, which .have been found fault 
with. All the witnesses testify that she spoke 
these things in order to instruct others and to 
encourage them to do good. When she men- 
tioned her desire to tell her faith to the entire 
world she was conversing with a disguised 
heretic ; for we thus read in the acts : " The 
sister Clare told the witness that the brother 
Bentivenga had stated to her that his faith 
was older than hers ; and that if he were per- 
mitted to preach it, he would convert the 
entire world. Sister Clare then asked him 
why he did not do so. He replied that he 
feared. Then Sister Clare said to him. 'As 
for me, I have no fear; and I would not 
dread to preach mine to the entire world, so 
great is the faith God has given me ; and 
consequently my faith is better than yours.' " 
What she said respecting her prayers and 
devotion in the time of her infancy, tended to 
give edification. The witnesses testify that 




62 BAIttrLY CHARACTKRS. 

she said that no one could teach the soul but 
God, for there is none other in the world as 
good a teacher as he is. Sister Thomasa de- 
poses, that when she spoke of the sufferings 
of Christ her language was filled with corn- 
passion ; and when she heard her say any 
thing on this subject she wept, and seemed 
deeply affected, and with many sighs and 
tears, she exhorted the sisters to meditate on 
the death and pas-ion of our Lord. 

The times in which Blessed Clare lived, as 
has been already stated, were calamitous. 
The heresy of the FratriceUi Bpread in every 
direction, and it required much caution to 
prevent its further progress. She therefore 
told the sisters, that such persons came to 
show not what they were, but what they were 
not; and she desired to put them on their 
guard with respect to such people. The 
el large brought against Blessed Clare of not 
being sufficiently careful of the reputation of 
other persons, has no better foundation. 
"When she spoke of the fault committed by 
two sisters in the convent, it was only out of 
compassion for their souls. They had already 
acknowledged their error, and had been cor- 
rected ; and were the first themselves to men- 
tion the miraculous warning they had re- 



63 



ceived from Blessed Clare. The brother Joan- 
nutius received from her only what he de- 
served, for he was a man secretly attached to 
heretical opinions. It also appears, from the 
testimony of the two sisters, Jane and Marina, 
that what Blessed Clare said with respect to 
her fidelity in keeping the rule, and her obe- 
dience, and other virtues, was through her 
anxiety to give edification to others. It only 
remains now to speak of her visions. The 
Holy Ghost is ever anxious that the gifts 
which he gives to saints should be published, 
in order that advantages may thus be con- 
ferred on the Church. Hence comes the 
desire to make these known to others. Chris- 
tian humility and simplicity cannot hinder this 
taking place. The religious often went to 
the cell of Sister Clare at night, on hearing 
the cries which she uttered when the demons 
approached her room. When asked how they 
knew this, they said that Sister Clare told 
them so ; and that they appeared sometimes 
under the form of a man, at other times under 
that of a woman, or of a beast ; and that they 
attempted to choke her, or to injure her in 
some other manner. The sisters also stated 
that Blessed Clare had been for many years 
favored with beholding the passion, as it had 



6i SAINTLY CHARACTERS. 

taken place, and that she was deprived of it, 
not because she spoke of it, but because she 
seemed to be affected with vainglory, when 
she found, that another person whom she 
thought possessed this privilege was not gifted 
with it. It appears that God gave her many 
consolations by revealing to her the sufferings 
of his Son, and that she was affected with a 
little self-esteem on conversing with a reli- 
gious, whom she supposed had the same 
favors, when she saw she did not enjoy 
them. For eleven years she was deprived of 
these visions. She then inflicted many pen- 
ances on herself, and at length was permitted 
to behold them once more. When she spoke 
of these to her companions, it was for their 
advantage, and not through desire of praise. 
It was thus that St. Paul and St. Barnabas 
announced the conversion of the Gentiles, 
and the miracles which God had effected 
through them. St. Bernard recounted to his 
brethren whatever took place in connection 
with his spiritual state, to encourage them to 
walk in his footsteps. St. Francis made 
known to his disciples his stigmata and the 
particulars of his vision. St. Ildegarde wrote 
an account of her visions, which was after- 
wards approved of by Eugenius III., by 



MIRACLES OF BLESSED CLARE. 65 

Anastasius IV., and by Adrian IV. St. 
Augustine composed a narrative of his con- 
version. St. Jerome speaks of liis visions, 
and St. Cajetan wrote about the divine favors 
which he received in the Church of St Maiy 
Major. These facts show the power of the 
heavenly inspiration, and that, notwithstand- 
ing their humility, the saints are compelled 
to make known the supernatural gifts which. 
God bestows on them. 

Thus it appears, how the opposition, which 
was manifested against the virtues of the saint, 
only served to make them more evident. 



CHAPTER V. 

The Miracles of Blessed Clare. — The Inquiry made 
by the Bishop respecting them. 

Judgment in favor of her heroic virtues 
had been pronounced by the Congregation of 
Rites. The next step to be taken was to 
obtain a similar sentence respecting the mira- 
cles of the saint. The documents required 
for making an examination of the former mira- 
cles had already been granted. It was neces- 
sary to have the authority of the Holy See, in 
6* 



66 SAINTLY CHARACTERS. 

order that an inquiry should be made into 
the new miracles which were alleged to have 
been performed by Blessed Clare. In 1847 
the Archbishop of Spoleto had formed a pro- 
cess respecting the wonders, which were said 
to have taken place on the 27th of May, and 
the 17th of July, in the same year. 

The following is a translation of this docu- 
ment :_-« On the 4th of August, 1847, the 
Archbishop of Spoleto arrived at Montefalco, 
and sent to the mother abbess the documents 
which had been already printed respecting 
the canonization. She stated, from the account 
furnished her by some of the nuns, that cer- 
tain prodigies had taken place in connection 
with the body of the servant of God ; that 
the door which closed in the interior of the 
choir was observed to open of its own accord ; 
and that there was a movement in the 
body at the same time, and that the nuns 
could bear testimony respecting it. As soon 
as the Archbishop had heard of this, lie re- 
solved to enter within the enclosure of the 
convent, and make the necessary inquiries 
respecting it. He was accompanied by the 
usual ecclesiastical authorities. When they 
arrived in the choir, in the interior of the 
monastery, where the urn containing the body 



MOVEMENT OF THE BODY. 67 

of the saint is placed in the wall, which divides 
the church from the choir, they found the 
doors open, and they saw through the glass 
that the body was not in the same position, 
in which it had been originally placed. 
The head seemed to be removed from the 
cushion, and the crown which was on the 
head was somewhat raised, and did not 
touch the velvet. The marks on the latter 
showed where the head and crown had 
originally been. The veil was not in its 
ordinary position, but seemed to be open and 
pushed back. This appeared to have been 
caused by the movement of the head. The 
tunic had also folds in it; which showed the 
motion made by the body, when the change 
took place in the position of the head. A 
golden crucifix, weighing eleven ounces, and 
which was placed on a little pedestal made 
of velvet, w r as inclined on the hands, and 
leaned on the thumb of the right hand. The 
arm of the cross touched the left hand. The 
Archbishop, in order to know the circum- 
stances connected with this, ordered Sister 
Mary Vincent Luciana to be called ; who 
stated, "that on the 27th of May, when they 
were all in the choir, to recite compline, about 
live o'clock in the evening, a noise was heard 



68 SAINTLY CHARACTERS. 

at the doors which enclosed the urn, as if the 
bolt, which fastened them, had been drawn 
back. The doors immediately opened. We 
were all surprised at beholding an event 
which seemed to be miraculous. None of the 
sisters were near the place, and the doors had 
been closed by a bolt. After compline Sister 
Mary Augustine, and Sister Mary Gertrude, 
the sacristan, told me that the body of Blessed 
Clare had Dioved itself, and that the crucifix 
had fallen down. I went to see it, and found 
that the crucifix, which before was placed on a 
velvet cushion, which served as a pedestal, had 
fallen down on the hands. The head was not 
on the cushion, on which it usually reclined. 
On the 17th of July last, Sister Mary Xavier, 
another sacristan, told me that she could not 
clean the urn in which the body of the saint 
rested, as it approached too near the iron 
grating which surrounded it. I went to look 
at it, and found that it was not only quite 
impossible to pass my hand between the urn 
and the grating to wipe away the dust, as 
was usually doue, but there was not even 
room to put in my finger. The urn must 
evidently have stirred, for we could always 
remove the dust in this manner. It re- 
quired much force to put it in its usual posi- 



INQUIRY INTO THE MIRACLES. 69 

tion." The mother abbess, and the sacristan, 
confirmed the above statement. 

Although this was of great weight, it did 
not dispense with the apostolical inquiry. 
Therefore in a few days, after the sentence 
had been passed on the heroic virtues, the 
postulators of the cause asked the Holy Father 
to send the usual letters directed to the Arch- 
bishop, the Vicar-General, and to the canons 
of the cathedral, to institute the necessary in- 
quiry into the miracles, which have taken 
place, since the cause has been renewed. 
These letters contained the form of the oath 
which the delegate judges should take ; and 
it was to terminate within two years. The 
examination of the witnesses, and their depo- 
sitions were to be sealed, and carefully laid 
by at the termination of each sitting. When 
the process was finished, the documents were 
to be transcribed, and sent to Rome to the 
Congregation of Rites. These letters were 
dated October 14, 1850. 



TO SAINTLY CHARACTERS. 



CHAPTER VI. 

The Inquiry made by the Authority of the Holy See 
into the Miracles. 

The inquiry was commenced on the 22 d 
October, 1850, and continued until the 16th 
of the following November. It was held in 
the enclosure of the convent, as the judges 
had received permission to enter it in order 
to take the depositions of the witnesses. 
Each meeting commenced with the usual 
formalities, the citation of the sub-promoter 
of the faith, and of the witnesses. The cus- 
tomary oath was administered to them. The 
questions sent from Rome by the promoter of 
the faith were read. The examination of the 
witnesses, produced by the postulator of the 
cause, lasted until the 8th of November ; that 
of the other witnesses until the 14th. The 
sub-promoter of the faith required, that per- 
sons should be named to examine the body 
of Blessed Clare. The judges appointed two 
physicians and five matrons for this purpose ; 
and four of the ecclesiastics, and inhabitants 
of Montefalco were to assist them. The ex- 
amination took place on the loth and 16th 



DECREE OF THE CONGREGATION. 71 

of November. The urn containing the body 
of Blessed Clare was placed in the middle of 
the choir. The dress, and each part of the 
body was examined. It was then replaced 
in the urn, and sealed with the archiepiscopal 
seal. The transcribing of the process, and 
the comparing it with the original, was not 
completed until the 3d of January. A new 
order was sent from Rome to inspect the 
relics of Blessed Clare. This did not take 
place until the following October. The med- 
ical men, who were appointed for this purpose, 
gave their testimony viva voce, and also in 
writing. The judges held their last meeting 
on the 21st of November, 1852, when the 
necessary documents were transmitted to 
Rome. 

The sacred Congregation of Rites, on the 
25th November, 1852, declared the process to 
be valid. The following is the decree. After 
the apostolical dispensation, and the vote of 
the consul tors, granted on the 10th of the 
kalends of May this } x ear, the most Eminent 
and Rev. Cardinal Patrizzi, to whose charge 
the cause of Blessed Clare of Montefalco is 
intrusted, having in the meeting held at the 
Vatican, proposed the following questions : — 
" Is the assembly satisfied about the validity 



'72 SAINTLY CHARACTERS. 

of the process, made in the diocese of Spoleto 
by apostolical authority respecting the mira- 
cles wrought by God at the sepulchre, and 
also by the body of Blessed Clare, since the 
veneration offered to her has received appro- 
bation ? Have the witnesses been properly 
examined, and have all things been duly per- 
formed ?" After the Cardinals had maturely 
considered the matter, and heard the objec- 
tions of the promoter of the faith, they decided 
" that all had been properly done." This 
decree received the approbation of the Holy 
Father on the thirtieth of the same month. 

Such is the present state of the case. Two 
more miracles must be approved of before 
they can proceed to the canonization of the 
saint. 



THE VENERABLE FRANCIS BE 
GHISONE. 

St. Paul has told us, that God has been 
pleased to choose the weak things of this 
world to confound the strong. A remarkable 
instance of the truth of the Apostle's saying 
may be found in the life of the Yenerable 
Francis, named De Ghisone from the place 
where he was born in the Island of Corsica. 
The cause of his beatification, and canoniza- 
tion was introduced by virtue of a decree of 
the Holy See, dated September 27, 1848. 
The servant of God passed his religious life 
in the convent of Oivitella, in the diocese of 
Subiaco. He made his vow t s there on 25th 
October, 1801, and died there on the 25th 
January, 1832. 

The Venerable Francis is not rendered 

illustrious, either by his ancestors, or by the 

extent of his learning. Simplicity of heart, 

profound humility, love of retirement, con- 

1 



74 SAINTLY CHARACTERS. 

stancy in prayer, and heroic patience under 
continued and painful maladies, are the vir- 
tues which have made him pleasing to the 
eyes of God. Christian heroism forms a sin- 
gular contrast with the heroism of the world. 
The victory over oneself, and the practice of 
heroic virtues during the course of a long life, 
show more greatness of soul than what is 
needed for the conquest of countries and for 
the foundation of empires. Following the 
example of St. Francis of Assisium, the ven- 
erable Francis of Ghisone deemed himself un- 
worthy of the Priesthood, and asked of God 
the grace not to be called to it by his superi- 
ors. God heard his vows, and sent him a 
disease which formed a perpetual obstacle to 
his promotion to holy orders. The attacks of 
epilepsy, which kept him from the priesthood, 
hindered his being engaged in airv social oc- 
cupation, and banished him from all society. 
During the thirty-two years that he was a 
Franciscan he never left the convent but 
once, and that was to go and thank our Bless- 
ed Lady at Genazzano for the epilepsy, which 
closed against him the gates of the priest- 
hood. He had made a vow to perform this 
pilgrimage if he obtained the grace he asked 
for. He never went to the garden of the con- 



HIS MODE OF LIFE. 75 

vent unless when obliged to do so through 
obedience. To suffer and pray in his cell, 
seems to have been his entire life. Witness- 
es worthy of credit have testified that during 
thirty-two years, when any person entered his 
cell he found him on his knees in prayer. — ■ 
When the office at midnight was finished, he 
was accustomed to ask permission to spend 
the rest of the night before the blessed sacra- 
ment ; and when he was not allowed to do so 
he returned to his cell, and passed the entire 
night in prayer. He never took his meals or 
any sleep unless when he was forced to do so 
through obedience. His cell was filled with 
marks in the floor, which bore witness to his 
long and fervent prayers. This was the life 
which he embraced, and followed with such 
fervor. His desire was to live hidden in God, 
but his virtues were so great that they caused 
him to be regarded as a saint. The inhabit- 
ants of Civitella and the neighborhood con- 
ceived the highest opinion of his merits. 
Bishops and priests, both regular and secular, 
came to the convent to consult the man of 
God, to become acquainted with him, and to 
receive edification from him. 

The reputation which he left behind him 
caused many to be anxious for his canoniza- 



76 SAINTLY CHARACTERS. 

tion. The inquiry into his sanctity, his vir- 
tues and miracles, was begun by the ordi- 
nary of Subiaco, in lSil, and presented to 
the Congregation of Rites. The rules require 
that two years should elapse between the pre- 
sentation of the process made by the ordinary 
and the signing of the commission for the in- 
troduction of the cause. Pius IX. granted a 
dispensation from this rule, on the 27th of 
September, 18-18. Since that time, several 
decrees have been issued in accordance with 
the laws regulating this matter. 



CHAPTER I. 

A Short Account of the Life of the Venerable Francis. 

This servant of God was born near Ajac- 
cio, on the 17th of December, 1777, of poor 
but honest parents. His father's name was 
Martin Muechieli ; he died shortly after the 
birth of his son. His mother, who was called 
Anne, was very careful respecting the educa- 
tion of her child. Under the special inspira- 
tion of God she offered him to St. Francis 
of Assisium. A Franciscan conducted the 
school, which had been erected for the 



HIS FIRST WISHES. 77 

education of the children of the neighbor- 
hood. The pious mother gained admission 
for her son into this establishment, and used 
all her efforts to cultivate the piety and vir- 
tue which he showed even at this early age. 
His constant wish, " Can I be a saint ! How 
I long to become one ! " expressed the. de- 
sire which then filled his mind. The inhab- 
itants of the village are even now wont to 
observe, " Would that I could become a saint, 
as Francis Muechieli used to say." 

When he was nearly twelve years old, the 
religious took him into the convent to serve 
mass. His mother and his relatives were 
much pleased at this. His kind disposition, 
his piety, and the eagerness with which he 
performed every thing connected with the 
church, gained him the good will of all in the 
convent. He gave indications of his future 
sanctity even at this early age, when he learn- 
ed to recite the office. The choir, and the 
saying of the Psalms, afforded him the great- 
est delight. In constant union with God, day 
and night he was on his knees before the 
blessed sacrament. He could not be taken 
away from this beloved occupation, unless the 
commands of hie preceptors or of his mother 
required him to go elsewhere. He served all 



78 SAINTLY CHARACTERS. 

the masses that were said in the church, with 
piety and angelical modesty. Being gifted 
with a good voice, he took pleasure in sing- 
ing the Psalms, or some pious canticles. He 
was so humble and patient that nothing dis- 
turbed him ; he would not, however, tolerate 
for one moment any thing wrong or improper 
in his fellow students. He constantly used 
bodily mortification at this period of his 

life. 

When his mother died, he resolved to em- 
brace the religious state ; but his desires were 
for a short time frustrated by the breaking 
out of the revolution and the suppression of 
the convents. He therefore retired to his sis- 
ter's house, and found there some alleviation 
for his sorrows, in making statues of the saints 
of the order of St. Francis. When the ter- 
rors of the revolution ceased, his relations ad- 
vised him to set out for Rome, where he had 
an uncle who was much esteemed by all his 
acquaintances. He was much pleased with 
this project, for there the venerable servant 
of God 'hoped to have less difficulty in ful- 
filling his most ardent wishes, and believed 
he could find there an opportunity of enter- 
ing a convent. Having consulted his uncle, 
who seemed to favor this journey, he regu- 



HIS VISIT TO ROME. 79 

lated all his affairs in Corsica as if he wore 
never to return there again, and arrived in 
Rome in the month of May, 1798. 

His uncle was anxious that he should learn 
the trade of a cabinetmaker. But Francis, 
who had no pleasure in the things of the 
world, was found much oftener in the church 
than at his work. His austerity, and the pu- 
rity of his life, spent in solitude and in re- 
tirement from the world, showed clearly that 
his feelings tended towards the convent. On 
one occasion, when his fellow-workmen wish- 
ed him to cut a board on which there was a 
painting of the blessed Virgin, he refused to 
allow the saw to touch a plank on which 
there was a likeness of the Mother of God. 
When his uncle perceived what the inclina- 
tions of Francis were, he brought him to a 
Franciscan father who was a Corsican, a man 
of high repute, and esteemed for the good 
advice which he always gave. Francis open- 
ed his heart to this good father, and told him 
the ardent desire lie had, since his earliest 
years, to enter the order of St. Francis. This 
pious man not only approved of his intention, 
and felt satisfied with his vocation for a re- 
ligious life, but also removed his uncle's ob- 
jections respecting the matter. The superior 



80 SAINTLY CHARACTERS. 

of the order, filled with admiration for a 
young man so humble, so simple-hearted, and 
so well prepared to become a member of the 
seraphic body, consented to his immediately 
entering on his novitiate. The pious father 
whose acquaintance he had made at Rome, 
sent him for this purpose to the convent of 
Civitella, on the 29th December, 1799. He 
stated in a letter, " that he sent them a young 
man of great promise ; he was indeed a little 
saint, and perhaps would render himself more 
illustrious by his virtues than blessed Thomas 
of Cori." The venerable servant of God took 
the habit of St. Francis on the 24th October, 
1800. He assumed the name of Francis-Ma- 
ria; but in consequence of his little stature, 
he was usually called Franceschino, or little 
Francis. 

Such were the means that God made use of 
to introduce Francis into the seraphic order. 
Like a tree once more planted in its native 
soil, he now brought forth fresh fruits of piety 
and holiness. During the year of his novi- 
tiate he was constant in the discharge of all 
his duties. He was much in prayer and in 
solitude. He performed acts of mortifica- 
tion, and fulfilled a*ll the commands given him. 
His solemn vows were pronounced on the 



HIS SOLEMN PROFESSION. 81 

25th October, 1801, He became a member 
of the convent of Civitella, and by the holi- 
ness of his life he acquired the respect of all, 
both in the convent, and outside its walls. 
The superiors soon concluded that his virtues 
rendered him a fit subject for the priesthood, 
and presented him to Cardinal Galeffi, the 
commendatory abbot of Subiaco, for tonsure 
and minor orders, on October 20th, 1805. 
He had passed such a good examination be- 
fore the cardinal, that his superiors ordered 
him to prepare himself for the priesthood. 
But God, who had called him into the seraph- 
ic order by such wondrous means, resolved 
that the virtues of St. Francis should be rep- 
resented in him. Humility, simplicity, gen- 
tleness, and a dislike for all worldly things, 
were to be in an especial manner exemplified 
by him. When Francis received the orders 
of his superiors to prepare for the priesthood, 
he meditated on the example of St. Francis 
of Assisium, who, although rich in merits and 
virtues, asked of God to be kept from enter- 
ing this holy office during his lifetime. Com- 
paring his own position with the wondrous 
sanctity of the patriarch, he was seized with 
such respect for his angelical virtue, that he 
fell on his knees and asked of God to permit 



82 SAINTLY CHARACTERS. 

him to endure the greatest afflictions, and the 
most insupportable trials during the remain- 
der of his life, should he not require him to 
become a priest. If the saint did not deem 
himself fit to bear this burden, which is too 
weighty even for angels, he dreaded being 
called to such a high and holy office. He 
asked the Blessed Virgin to assist him in his 
undertaking, and made a vow to go on a pil- 
grimage to Genezzano should he through her 
intercession obtain his request. 

God accepted the sacrifice, and heard the 
fervent prayers of his servant, and allowed 
him to suffer from violent attacks of epilepsy 
during his lifetime. This rendered him not 
only unfit for sacred orders, but for any do- 
mestic employment which required labor. He 
was merely able to lead the novices to the 
garden for their usual recreation, or to occu- 
py himself in spiritual conversation with those 
who came to make retreats in the convent. 
Thus his life rolled on in calmness and quie- 
tude, for nearly twenty-seven years. He re- 
mained in his convent even during the sup- 
pression of the religious orders in Italy. He 
never went outside its doors but once, to ac- 
complish the vow which he made to the bless- 
ed Virgin. In his solitude the violence of 



HIS LOVE OF PRAYER. 83 

his disease left him no rest. It hindered him 
from doing all, that charity would suggest, for 
the glory of God and the good of his neigh- 
bor. It obliged him even to give up, in ac- 
cordance with the command of his superiors, 
the practice of prayer, and the maceration of 
his flesh, which had afforded him such spirit- 
ual delight in his retirement. He passed his 
life in a perpetual offering of patience, in con- 
formity to the will of God, in profound humil- 
ity, in simplicity and angelical innocence, un- 
til, rendered illustrious by sanctity and made 
glorious by supernatural gifts, he slept peace- 
fully in the Lord, on the 25th of January, 
1832, aged 55 years. 



CHAPTER II. 

The Virtues of the Venerable Francis. His Love of 
Prayer. His Devotion to the Blessed Sacrament, 
and the Mother of God. His Patience. 

The process instituted respecting the vir- 
tues of the venerable servant of God, com- 
prises the examination of several witnesses 
about his virtues, theological and cardinal, in 
conformance with the rules established for 
the act of canonization. It would be impos- 



84 SAIXTLY CHARACTERS. 

sible to refer to all these in detail. Only a 
few will be mentioned ; and a commencement 
will be made by referring to his indefatigable 
love for prayer. 

It has been already related how his moth- 
er, when he was yet a little child, made him 
frequent the church of the Franciscans at 
Ghisone, and how he excited the admiration 
of the faithful by the assiduity and fervor of 
his devotions, which he offered up before the 
altar of the blessed sacrament. Whilst at 
Rome, where he spent six months before his 
entering the convent, his whole delight was 
in visiting the churches and in prayer. It 
may indeed be truly said that, carrying out 
literally the precept of St. Paul, he did not 
cease to pray, either by day or by night, dur- 
ing the thirty-two years he spent in Civitel- 
la. At the reciting of the holy office, and at 
the prayers of the community, he was usual- 
ly the first to enter the choir and the last to 
leave it, unless when the attacks of epilepsy 
obliged the superiors to forbid his coming 
there. He had also private exercises of his 
own, which he never omitted saying. These 
he performed either in his cell or in the 
church before the altar of the blessed sacra- 
ment. If a person entered unexpectedly in- 



HIS MANNER OF LIVING. 85 

to his cell, no matter at what hour of the day, 
he found him on his knees in the middle of 
it, praying, with his head bowed, which 
was his constant position. In the cloisters of 
the convent, he showed how continually he 
was in a state of recollection, and as if he al- 
ways lived in the presence of God. The su- 
periors could never obtain from him a prom- 
ise that he would not stop before every cru- 
cifix, and pious picture which happened to be 
in the corridor where he usually walked. 
Piety even made him forget obedience. In all 
his occupations he was engaged in prayer. 
When his malady did not hinder him from 
dining in the refectory, his attention was di- 
rected to the spiritual reading with such ear- 
nestness that lie neglected to eat. When he was 
obliged to take his meals in private, his loss 
of the reading was felt very much by him. 
His chief object seems to have been, never to 
lose a single moment without being engaged 
in prayer. It was on this account that he 
never left his convent for the sake of recrea- 
tion, and did not even go into the garden that 
was within the enclosure. He passed the 
greatest part of the night employed in the 
same manner. At the conclusion of the di- 
vine office he asked the permission of the su- 
8 



86 SAINTLY CHARACTERS. 

perior to pass the remainder of the night 
before the blessed sacrament. If this was 
not allowed him, he performed in his cell 
what he could not do in the church, and 
spent his time in prayer and in meditation. 
He would never go to bed to take. even a mo- 
ment's sleep, unless the express command of 
his superiors obliged him to do so. The floor 
of his cell, made of brick, was filled with fur- 
rows, from his constant occupation. His po- 
sition in prayer shows his faith. He was al- 
ways on his knees, without his body receiving 
any support, his hands crossed on his breast, 
his head without any motion, like a statue, 
bowed towards the ground. ' So great was his 
modesty, his angelical piety, and the eleva- 
tion of his soul, that nothing could disturb 
him in his contemplation of divine things. 

His devotion to the holy eucharist seems 
almost miraculous. As his disease prevented 
him from filling any office in the convent, he 
found no greater pleasure than in offering up 
his prayers at the altar of the blessed sacra- 
ment. He passed entire days there. He 
might be seen kneeling before it, with his 
hands joined and his head inclined, in the 
attitude of the deepest veneration. During 
the winter nights, when the religious, after 



HIS DEVOTIONS. 87 

matins, went to warm themselves before the 
lire when they left the choir, the venerable 
servant of God deprived himself of this, 
deeming it a higher privilege to visit the 
blessed sacrament. His devotion at the holy 
sacrifice of the mass, was of the same char- 
acter. He assisted at all the masses that 
were celebrated in the church, when his 
malady permitted him. It was his greatest 
delight to be allowed by the superiors to serve 
them all. He received holy communion 
twice during the week, after going to confes- 
sion, each time, and after having prepared 
himself with the greatest possible devotion. 
When he was confined to his cell through 
the attacks of the epilepsy with which he was 
afflicted, as soon as he was able, after the sig- 
nal for mass was given, he went and asked 
permission of the superior to attend at it. 
I lis greatest privation was in not being per- 
mitted to do so. Father Bernard, his confes- 
sor, gives the following testimony : "When 
confined to his room through obedience, and 
he could not hear mass, he used to ask per- 
mission to be allowed to hear even one mass" 
His reverence for the blessed sacrament was 
equal to his piety. It has been stated how 
he always remained on his knees when in its 



8S SAINTLY CHARACTERS. 

presence. He never quitted the altar with- 
out making profound adorations and prostrat- 
ing himself almost to the ground ; and he 
repeated the same on leaving the church. 
When he passed before the altar he acted in 
the same manner. If a priest entered the sa- 
cristy, after saying mass, he bowed himself 
before him, and kissed his feet in adoration 
of the eucharist which lie had consumed. 
When he was seized with attacks of epilepsy 
in the church, he was usually carried to his 
cell ; but even then he inclined his head on 
passing before the blessed sacrament, though 
afflicted with Bufferings which seemed likely 
to put an end to his life. 

He also showed other marks of his respect 
for the holy eucharist. He kept with the 
greatest care every thing connected with the 
altar; and he saw that the lamp always burn- 
ed before the blessed sacrament. When he 
was sacristan, he placed before the priests 
who came to say mass in the church for the 
first time, the instructions of St. Birgitta 
about celebrating it worthily. He would nev- 
er allow any irreverence or idle words to be 
spoken in presence of the eucharist. Sev- 
eral witnesses made their depositions respect- 
ing this fact. " When I passed," says one 



HIS REVERENCE FOR THE EUCHARIST. 89 

witness, " with a zucchetto on my head, be- 
fore the altar — as I had some things in my 
hands I conld not take it off — Brother Fran- 
cis came to me, crying and saying, ' the an- 
gels prostrate themselves before their Saviour, 
filled with respect — men pass before him 
without showing any reverence.' " " As I was 
sitting," states another person, " with my legs 
crossed before the altar of the blessed sacra- 
ment, according to my usual habit, the ven- 
erable servant of God, anxious to show me 
the impropriety of such a careless manner in 
the presence of God, spoke to me with much 
zeal ; this mortified me much ; when I turn- 
ed towards the high altar I saw him pros- 
trate on the steps, striking his breast, as if he 
were doing it for me." " He was greatly af- 
flicted," adds another witness, " if he beheld 
any person passing before the blessed sacra- 
ment without bending his knee to the ground. 
He usually reprimanded all whom he did not 
see perform the necessary reverence ; and 
when, in obedience to the commands of his 
superiors, he abstained from speaking to those 
who acted with this seeming irreverence, his 
deep sighs showed how much he felt." 

The Venerable Francis had, during his 
childhood, a tender devotion for the blessed 
8* 



90 SAINTLY CHARACTERS. 

Yirgin ; and in the act of his religious pro- 
fession he made to her a special offering of 
himself. The attack of epilepsy, which pre- 
vented his becoming a priest, he looked upon 
as a special favor granted him by the mother 
of God ; and his gratitude increased his devo- 
tion to her whom he always called his moth- 
er. So great was his filial love that he never 
commenced any thing, or spoke to any person, 
without going on his knees to say the angeli- 
cal salutation. He recited also the little 
office of the blessed Yirgin, and the rosary. 
He used to pass many hours before a statue 
of the blessed Yirgin, which was near the 
cell of the blessed Thomas de Cori. He fin- 
ished all his prayers and all his actions by 
fervent ejaculations to the mother of God. 
Whenever he saw a painting of her, he made 
a profound reverence before it. His greatest 
joy was to speak her praises, or to sing hymns 
in her honor, which he had composed him- 
self. Whilst suffering from the effects of the 
epileptic fits, he has been heard to sing most 
sweetly the Magnificat, or the Litany of Lo- 
retto. When well, he invited all to join with 
him in the same pious work. He delighted 
to lead the novices to a chestnut tree, which 
was in the garden, to pray before a statue of 



PATIENCE IN ILLNESS. 91 

the mother of God, which was in a hollow of 
the tree. He might be often seen before a 
painting of the blessed Yirgin talking famil- 
iarly with it, and in the midst of this he would 
seem to be raised from the ground. 

The patience with which, during thirty 
years, he endured the fits of epilepsy, seems 
worthy of admiration. At first they attacked 
him only once a month ; soon they became 
more frequent. He might be seen covered 
with contusions, from the effects of them. 
Yet he was quite calm and serene, submitting 
himself entirely to the will of God, without 
uttering one word of complaint, or murmur- 
ing at the dispensations of Providence. He 
looked upon his afflictions as a gift which 
God had bestowed on him to enable him to 
make some expiation for his sins, and to mer- 
it life everlasting. He called them his friend 
and his brother. He returned thanks to 
God for them, and would never pray to be 
delivered from them. He always said that 
his sins deserved greater sufferings, and when 
he was allowed a moment's repose, he fell 
down on his knees to pray. He made use of 
every possible means to chastise his body and 
to bring it into subjection. His fasts were 
continual, and he never would have taken 



92 SAINTLY CHARACTERS. 

any nourishment or sleep, unless he had been 
forced to do so by his superiors. Then he 
only partook of the most common food, and 
in very small quantities. During the last 
years of his life, he always dined in his own 
room, in consequence of his malady. When 
able, he always went for his dinner himself; 
or if the persons whose duty it was to bring 
it to him forgot to do so, he generally knelt 
down to pray. He was often found in this 
position when the other members of the com- 
munity were going to vespers, waiting until 
his scanty meal should be served. lie made 
constant use of the discipline; and his gar- 
ments, all covered with blood, are preserve'] 
in the convent at Civitella. His bed was 
some straw, placed on the ground, where he 
was wont to take a little rest when compelled 
to do so. At other times, he usually passed 
the entire night on his knees in prayer, 
either in the church or in his cell. 

The life of this servant of God presents a 
remarkable instance of silence and solitude. 
He never spoke but in reply to the questions 
that were addressed to him ; he never lis- 
tened to any conversation but to what was 
either absolutely necessary, or was calcula- 
ted to afford him spiritual instruction. He 



LETTERS OF THE VENERABLE FRANCIS. 93 

passed all his time in prayer. He guarded 
his eyes with such care that he did not even 
know any of the other members of the con- 
vent by sight, except his confessor. During 
his entire life, he never sought for consolation, 
or enjoyed any recreation. 

He constantly prayed for the church and 
for the pope. His grief was great when he 
found the church was oppressed with trials 
and tribulations ; and his ardent desire was 
that all men should be gathered within its 
fold. Amongst the supernatural gifts be- 
stowed upon him, his prophecies respecting 
the sufferings of Pius YII. are not the least 
remarkable. 



CHAPTER III. 

Letters of the Venerable Francis. 

Only three letters have been found which 
were written by him. These are addressed 
to Philip Moraschi, of Subiaco. The first 
treats of the fear of God ; the second speaks 
of the hunger and thirst which the Christian 
should have for justice ; and the third relates 
to the love of our Saviour. 



94 SAINTLY CHARACTERS. 

The first letter is elated the 23d May, 1807. 
"May our Lord give us his holy benediction. 
Many thanks to God. 1 would recommend 
to you, my dear brother, a holy fear over all 
your actions, for this is a sure sign of great 
love to God. It is on this account that the 
holy Scripture says, ' Blessed are those who 
are always in fear.' The fear I speak of is 
that which we should have of not offend- 
ing God, and of not turning to good ac- 
count time, which flies so rapidly. Whoever 
possesses this, is circumspect in every word, 
and in every movement of his body ; for he 
always remembers that God is in everyplace 
and always sees him. lie never trusts in him- 
self, but is always in dread, and places his 
confidence in God. Endeavor to keep your- 
self in this holy fear of offending God, and 
of not being able to do any good. Have, at 
the same time, a sure confidence in God, who 
is more desirous to pardon than to punish us, 
especially when one does his best to perform 
all that he can, and in accordance with the 
lights which his conscience affords him ; for 
there is no sin when there is no malice in 
what we do. 

" I enclose in this letter the prayers which 
you sent me, after correcting them as well as 



LETTERS OF THE VENERABLE FRANCIS. 95 

I could. You can, when you have time, copy 
them in more legible characters, so as to be 
able to recite them more easily — when you 
have any leisure, especially before going to 
bed. Respecting what you say, I had intend- 
ed to visit our mother of sorrows ; but we 
are so few in choir, that I cannot leave the 
convent at this time. I hope, with the help 
of God, soon to be able to accomplish my 
wish. 1 also recommend to you peace of 
mind. Do not be disturbed with any trial 
that may come upon you, or with any con- 
tradiction you may meet with. Take every 
thing as coming from the hand of God, and 
remain in the enjoyment of tranquillity ; for 
those who enjoy this have already a foretaste 
of heaven. Make every effort to preserve it ; 
be content and fear nothing. God is contin- 
ually with you. I wish you and your family 
every happiness, and the peace of our dear 
Lord and Saviour, whose poor servant I am. 
" Francis Mary of Ghisone, 
" A Miserable Si?mer, and an unworthy 
Cleric of the Convent of Cimtella." 

The second letter is dated 13th of August, 
1807. " Praised be Jesus and Mary. May 
God give us his blessing. Infinite thanks to 



96 SAINTLY CHARACTERS. 

our God. 'Blessed are they that hunger and 
thirst after justice, for they shall be filled.' 
Let us strive, my dear brother, to be of the 
number of those happy ones who thus hun- 
ger after God. Let us always endeavor to 
preserve this constant hunger, without tak- 
ing any pleasure in the things of the world. 
Let us take every thing as it happens, for our 
exile will'soon be at an end, and we shall ob- 
tain the object of our desires, even the joy of 
our well-beloved Jesus, forever in heaven. 
Would that I had words to describe what 
God has prepared for those that truly love 
him, and serve him in joy and peace ! When 
our Lord appeared to his apostles, his first 
words were, ' Peace be to you.' Whoever 
has not this peace, were he the first monarch 
in the world, he will live in a constant hell. 
He who, on the contrary, enjoys this peace of 
mind, has already the pledges of heaven. 
And although he finds himself in a sea of 
temporal miseries, lie will be always content 
and filled with peace; for he will be able to 
say, ' What pleases God, pleases me ! ' and 
our Lord fills him with a peace and joy which 
no language can explain. Let us endeavor 
continually to preserve this peace of mind. 
The best proof we can have that we truly 



LETTERS OF THE VENERABLE FRANCIS. 97 

love God with all our heart, is when nothing 
can disturb or harm us, and when we ac- 
cept with peace, from the hands of God, both 
prosperity and adversity. Let our continual 
study be to learn never to feel any trouble. 
What I recommend you evermore, is to be 
hidden in God, and content, without desir- 
ing any temporal prosperity. When your 
thoughts are assimilated to those graces of 
God, you will feel happy and at peace. Then 
is there a solid and real joy. Let us accus- 
tom ourselves to this sweet and gentle nur- 
ture, and our soul will soon find itself strong, 
and filled with the greatest desire of hearing 
others speak of God, and of speaking about 
him to them ; and of uniting ourselves more 
closely with him, and of enjoying his ever- 
lasting treasures. There is one thing I would 
remind you of: that our enemy has raised 
his banner against us, to take away from us 
this peace of soul, that you may be in sor- 
row and trouble, and no longer enjoy this 
tranquillity with God. But the holy Virgin, 
our only Mother, our Mother of Mercy, is 
engaged on your behalf. She is desirous of 
defending you, and of repressing the enemy, 
if you will only make good use of what we 
have written. Be ready, and fear not ; for it 



98 SAINTLY CHARACTERS. 

is not yon who fight the battle, but the Moth- 
er of God. Often hold intercourse with her. 
Make known to her all your wants, all your 
present sorrows, and you will see how this 
merciful Mother of God will make you be- 
come stronger, and more desirous of pleasing 
him, and of having peace and contentment 
with him. Thus the enemy will be overcome. 
Console yourself, then, and fear not; and, 
saluting you with affection, I leave you in 
peace with our Lord. Your poor brother, 
" Francis Mary of Ghisone, 
" A Miserable Sinner, and an unworthy 
Cleric of the Convent of Civitella" 

The third letter is much shorter than the 
others. It begins with the same expressions. 
" Praised be Jesus and Mary. Many thanks 
to God, my dear brother. Let us not become 
cold in our love to Jesus ; for love to him is 
the marrow of perfection, and is the most 
powerful instrument by which we can over- 
come and weaken the power of the enemy of 
souls. Whoever loves Jesus with his whole 
heart, is strong indeed ; and the enemy be- 
fore him is as weak as an ant before a lion. 
Such is the power of this love, that it takes 
from the fiery dragons of hell all their 



OBJECTIONS TO HIS VIRTUES. 99 

strength. Let us endeavor, my dear "brother, 
to love Jesus more and more. Let us bear 
with patience all that contradicts us, through 
our love for him. Let us rejoice in having 
the happiness to suffer something for him. 
Saluting you with all affection, I leave you 
in the peace of Jesus Christ." 



CHAPTER IV. 

Objections against the Virtue of Obedience. 

In 1S18, when the introduction of the 
cause before the Congregation of Rites was 
under discussion, the promoter of the faith, 
in accordance with his usual custom, urged 
many objections in connection with the vir- 
tue of obedience. He stated that the Ven- 
erable Francis did not always practise it. 
Besides the constant admonitions that were 
given to prohibit his stopping before the 
pious statues in the convent, and to which he 
paid no regard, another fact also was ad- 
duced against him. The superior of the con- 
vent, wishing to put the servant of God to 
certain trials, commanded him to obey a sec- 
ular priest who was staying in the house. 



100 SAINTLY CHARACTERS. 

Francis kept a profound silence, and threw 
himself on his bed at full length. The guar- 
dian was surprised at this, and reprimanded 
him rather sharply, saying he was in a state 
of delusion and error. He left the chamber, 
and in a short time called him into the chap- 
ter-room and renewed his orders. Francis, 
without uttering a word, threw himself on the 
ground at full length. The guardian again 
reproved him, saying he was deceiving him- 
self, and immediately went away. 

The difficulty connected with this, is to de- 
termine if a religious can. by the will of his 
superior, be put under the direction of a sec- 
ular priest. Before examining this question, 
it is necessary to state that this priest was sus- 
pected of quietism. Having had a long cor- 
respondence with a person whose director 
and confessor he was, and who was accused 
of entertaining the same error, he was tried 
before the proper ecclesiastical tribunal, and 
being found guilty, was sent to spend five 
years in the convent of Civitella. During 
liis stay, he suggested to the guardian, the 
superior of the convent, that Francis was un- 
der an illusion, and stated as a proof of this, 
the frequent sighs which he uttered in his 
prayers. All who heard these considered 



OBEDIENCE OF THE VENERABLE FRANCIS. 101 

them as marks of his devotion ; but this priest 
called them shrieks, and asked the guardian 
to allow him to act as director to Brother 
Francis, and to test his sincerity. The guar- 
dian called Francis, and desired him to sub- 
mit himself to the priest as his superior. He 
excused himself, saying he was not a religious. 
The guardian paid no attention to this, but 
issued a second order, to which the brother 
made no reply, but threw himself on his bed. 
The priest invested with authority, soon began 
to exercise it, and forbade Francis to kiss the 
pictures and statues, or to pray before them. 
With these commands the brother did not 
comply. He then ordered him to think no 
more of God. To this Francis quickly an- 
swered, " May God keep me from ever for- 
getting him ! How could I exist without 
thinking of him ! " Such a reply w T as con- 
sidered as a formal act of disobedience, and 
he no longer wished to hear the confessions of 
Francis. "When," says the promoter of the 
faith, " we take these circumstances into con- 
sideration, and also remember that on the fol- 
lowing day, when the guardian renewed the 
command in the chapter-room, and the an- 
swer of Francis was that he could not obey, 
we must begin to suspect the real virtue of 



102 SAINTLY CHARACTERS. 

the saint, and to fear either deception, or that 
Francis was laboring under an illusion ; es- 
pecially when we find him so meek and so 
patient under all his trials, and under all the 
reproaches that were heaped on him from 
time to time." In reply to this, it may be said 
that to desire a person to think no longer of 
God, is to order an impossibility ; and that 
such a precept would be contrary to the di- 
vine law, for the first commandment is to 
love God with all our heart and with all our 
mind. 

The other question remains now to be con- 
sidered : Could the superior oblige Francis 
to put himself under obedience to a secular 
priest ? 

The Franciscans, like the other religious 
orders, only promise obedience to their prop- 
er superiors. They do not engage them- 
selves to submit, if it be not in conformity 
with their rule. In accordance with this, the 
religious are bound to obey the guardian of 
their convent and the general of the order — 
who in his turn promises obedience to the 
pope. ''Francis promises obedience to Pope 
Honorius and his successors canonically elect- 
ed, and the Roman church — and the other 
brothers are bound to obey Brother Francis." 



VOWS OF THE FRANCISCANS. 103 

Thus we read in the rules of the order. The 
constitutions also prescribe that the general, 
the inferior prelates, the provincials, the guar- 
dians, and the vicars, should be members of 
the order, and, in their absence, the member 
of the order next in point of rank, should ex- 
ercise authority. The vow which each mem- 
ber makes : " I promise obedience to my su- 
periors," proves also the same point. It 
would appear that the guardian of Civitella 
had not power to commit the direction of one 
of his subjects to a secular priest ; and that 
the brother having made a vow of obedience 
only in conformity with the rule, was not 
obliged to submit to the command. A relig- 
ious is bound to obey his superior in accord- 
ance with the rule, and within the limitations 
of the rule. All human obedience has ne- 
cessarily two limits : the thing commanded 
should not be intrinsically bad ; and it should 
not be contrary to the rule or the religious 
state. These principles which are taught by 
all theologians, fully justify the Venerable 
Francis. The guardian issues orders which 
are contrary to the rule. To this he replies 
with modesty, " This priest is not a member 
of a religious order." The superior insists ; 
he is silent, and shows, by his lying down on 



lOi SAINTLY CHARACTERS. 

his bed, how unjust the command is. He en- 
dures with humility the most severe repri- 
mands ; but he does not absolutely refuse 
submission. His new director bids him fol- 
low him, and he obeys. He orders him not 
to kiss the cross or the statues ; he keeps si- 
lence, through respect for the sacerdotal char- 
acter. All this seems an example of real 
perfection. 

With respect to his kissing the pictures 
when forbidden, it would appear that it arose 
from forgetfulness ; for he often went to the 
superior to ask pardon, and also added that 
he did not remember he had been desired not 
to do so. His want of recollection seems to 
have arisen from his malady. It would ap- 
pear that his desire was to obey ; but so deep- 
ly occupied was he with serving God, so car- 
ried into raptures was he by his devotions, 
that when he saw a crucifix, or passed before 
the altar of the Blessed Sacrament, he forgot 
every command which had been given him. 
If there appears to be any disobedience on 
his part, it was caused by his disease, which 
made him lose his memory ; and also by the 
habit which he had contracted of kissing a 
crucifix wherever he saw it, and of making 



DEATH OF THE VENERABLE FRANCIS. 105 

profound genuflections whenever he passed 
before the Blessed Eucharist. 

This must be deemed a sufficient answer 
to the objections made by the promoter of 
the faith. So constant was the spirit of pray- 
er which the Venerable Francis possessed, 
so profound was his humility, so great was 
his detachment from worldly things, so won- 
drous was his love of poverty and of solitude, 
that the love of God absorbed his entire soul. 



CHAPTER V. 

Death of the Venerable Francis. 

A life so perfect as that of Francis, flow- 
ed on in a state of innocence. Confessors 
could not And any matter for absolution. His 
continual prayer, his austerities, his absti- 
nence, his mortification, and his angelical 
purity, deserved to be crowned with a holy 
and glorious death. His fervor seemed to re- 
double itself, as he found the time of his exile 
about to draw to a close. His heroic patience, 
and his wonderful submission to the will of 
God, burned with greater brightness in the 
last days of his life. His constant attacks of 



106 SAINTLY CHARACTERS. 

epilepsy left him no repose ; and he seemed 
as if he were every moment about to give up 
his soul to God. One of the witnesses states 
that he was in his room a few days before his 
death. " I saw him," he says, " lying on his 
bed of straw, which was on the ground, quite 
patient and resigned. He wished to kiss the 
hand of the priest of Civitella, who was with 
me, and asked him to pray for him. He took 
his hand, and said, ' How happy would it be 
were we both to die, that we might go to Par- 
adise ! what joy, what glory, will be there !' " 
He anxiously desired the last sacraments. 
After his confession, he wished to be carried 
into the church that he might receive the vi- 
aticum ; and the guardian had him brought 
there by two brothers. He assisted at mass, 
which was celebrated by the guardian, and 
communicated with the greatest fervor. Two 
days after this, he received extreme unction. 
Although constant attacks of epilepsy usually 
produce stupidity, it was not so with the ser- 
vant of God ; for he preserved his calmness 
and serenity to the end. He was enabled to 
perform all his devotions with a fervor and 
exactness which excited the admiration of 
those who waited on him. After having 
foretold the exact hour in which he would 



SANCTITY OF THE VENERABLE FRANCIS. 107 

die, he breathed his last ; and the priest who 
assisted him in his dying moments, recited : 
"I rejoiced at the things that were said to 
me : we shall go into the house of the Lord." 
He died on the 25th of January, 1832, at 
three o'clock in the morning. As soon as it 
was known that he was dead, all in the con- 
vent went into his cell, to get whatever they 
could find, as a relic. The concourse of per- 
sons who visited the church during the five 
days that his body was exposed there, was 
very large ; and would have been much 
greater, if the rain, the bad roads, and the 
time of the year, had not prevented very 
many from coming. Amongst those who came 
to the funeral, many were distinguished for 
their wisdom, prudence, and piety. All seem- 
ed desirous to obtain even the smallest piece 
of the habit of the servant of God, or some 
object which had belonged to him. Such was 
their anxiety, that the body had to be remov- 
ed into one of the side chapels, to be covered 
with a new habit. It did not show any sign 
of corruption, but emitted a sweet perfume. 
The odor of violets came from his mouth. 
His look inspired piety ; his face preserved 
its color, and his entire body its flexibility. 
The wound which he had in his leg during 



108 SAINTLY CHARACTERS. 

his lifetime, closed, and srnelled so sweetly 
that many persons desired to kiss it. Sev- 
eral miraculous cures took place. A man who 
had a severe illness and could scarcely walk, 
was suddenly healed whilst he prayed fer- 
vently before the remains of the servant of 
God ; and he was able to walk to his house, 
which was situated a mile from the church. 

During his lifetime the servant of God bad 
been endowed with many miraculous gifts. 
He told Cardinal Galeffi the vicissitudes which 
would take place in the reign of Pius VIL, 
and enumerated all the particulars connect- 
ed with them. In 1809, when Pius VII. was 
carried away prisoner from Rome, Francis 
foretold his return, and the glorious triumph 
of the church a few years afterwards. Many 
other circumstances were also revealed to 
him, when they were taking place in other 
parts of Europe. During the insurrection in 
Romagna, in 1831, he said there was nothing 
to be feared, as it would be soon put down. 
He also told, as has been already mentioned, 
the day on which he should die. Six months 
before the death of his uncle, he wrote to him 
to give up all .the things of the world, as he 
would soon be no more. He was once asked 
to pray for a man who was very ill, that he 



PROPHECIES OF THE VENERABLE FRANCIS. 109 

might recover his health. He told his 
brother that he would recommend him in his 
prayers to the blessed Virgin, that he might 
have a happy death. On another occasion, 
he told an inhabitant of Tivoli who was a 
great benefactor to the convent, what some 
evil-disposed person was committing on his 
property, which was thirty miles distant, and 
asked him to pardon the man. He spoke to 
three different persons of their secret faults, 
and urged them to perform penance for them. 
He told another man every thing that he had 
done since he was a child, and which he could 
not possibly know from any human means. 
During his prayers he was constantly in ec- 
His knowledge of spiritual things 
manifested itself when an}^ person spoke to 
him respecting them ; and there are also sev- 
eral instances of cures and miracles wrought 
through his intercession. 

Francis had a great reputation for sanctity. 
All testify that during his lifetime he was 
looked upon as a saint, by the most prudent, 
most learned, and most distinguished men of 
his day. Cardinal Galeffi, the commendato- 
ry Abbot of Subiaco, used often to go to Civ- 
i tell a to consult him on the most important 
matters, and to be edified with his conversa- 



110 SAINTLY CHARACTERS. 

tion. The bishops of Tivoli and Segni found 
much delight in his company. All who came 
to the convent were anxious to see him ; and 
the guardian had often letters from Rome 
and Naples asking for his assistance, and for 
his prayers. This reputation for sanctity, 
which attended the servant of God both dur- 
ing his lifetime and at his death, has not yet 
ceased. The visits which are constantly paid 
to his tomb, and the care with which his rel- 
ics are preserved, are proofs that he is looked 
upon as a saint. 

The progress that has been made in the 
beatification and canonization of the saint 
has already been stated. The cause has been 
introduced before the Congregation of Kites, 
and the necessary faculties have been granted 
for carrying it on. 



THE VENERABLE STEPHEN BEL- 
LESINI. 

On the 15tli of January, 1852, Pius IX. 
signed the commission for introducing the 
cause of Stephen Bellesini before the Con- 
gregation of Rites, though not quite twelve 
years had elapsed since he died at Genazza- 
no, a victim to the zeal which he displayed 
on behalf of his parishioners, who were near- 
ly decimated by an epidemic. 

The introduction of a cause for beatification 
depends on the nine following conditions : — 

1. Ten years must have elapsed since pre- 
senting to the Congregation of Rites the in- 
quiry made by the ordinary, and the proofs 
respecting the virtues of the servant of God, 
unless the pope grants a dispensation. 2. 
The decrees of Urban YIII. require that the 
cause be proposed in a general assembly of 
the congregation held in the presence of the 
pope ; and a dispensation is also required 



112 SAINTLY CHARACTERS. 

before it can be brought before an ordinary 
congregation, where the consultors are not 
present. 3. The writings of the servant of 
God, if he have left any, must be examined. 
4. Kings, princes, or other persons placed in 
public authority, must ask for the beatifica- 
tion. 5. The process which has been made 
by the ordinary must also be presented to the 
Congregation. 6. All these processes must 
be made in conformity with the rules estab- 
lished respecting them. 7. They must prove 
fully the virtues and the miracles. 8. There 
must be no obstacle to the introduction. 9. 
After the expiration of the ten years, the 
bishop must give further testimony respect- 
ing the increase of the public fame of the 
servant of God. 

Shortly after the death of father Stephen 
Eellesini, the reputation which he had left 
after him, and the miracles which were per- 
formed through his intercession, caused it to 
be generally desired that he should be can- 
onized. Three judicial inquiries were made 
in the city of Trent, where he was born, and 
where he passed the first years of his life, 
until 1817. Two cardinal,-, amongst other 
persons of distinction, appeared as witnesses. 
Those processes were presented to the Con- 



INTRODUCTION OF THE CAUSE. 113 

gregation in 1815 — though ten years had not 
elapsed. The holy father permitted the cause 
to be brought before an ordinary meeting in 
the year 1852. Forty-four cardinals, bish- 
ops, and generals of religious orders, suppli- 
cated to allow the introduction of the cause. 
Pius IX., who, as bishop of Imola, had made 
the request in 1846, signed the permission 
as pope, in 1852. 

There are three periods in the life of the 
Venerable Stephen Bellesini. The first em- 
braces his early years, until 1817. The sec- 
ond refers to the time he spent at Home, as 
master of novices, and the zealous advocate 
of religious discipline. The third, the years 
he passed at Genazzano, practising the com- 
mon life in his convent, and fulfilling his du- 
ties as parish priest. 

The zeal which he showed in the Tyrol du- 
ring the dispersion of the religious orders, is 
very remarkable. Bellesini was in the con- 
vent at Trent when the decree was issued for 
the suppression of the monasteries. The ene- 
mies of religion complained that education 
made but little progress when it was under 
the bishops. They therefore withdrew it 
from them, and placed it under the civil 
power. They organized normal schools. The 
10 # 



Ill SAINTLY CHARACTERS. 

masters of these propagated impiety, and 
wicked doctrines. Father Stephen Bellesini 
saw the evil consequences that would follow, 
and that Catholic schools would be the only 
means whereby faith could be kept alive in 
the country. These he opened, in opposition 
to the government schools, making no charge 
for attendance. The government took offence 
at this, and dismissed Bellesini from his 
school. He immediately opened another, in 
the house of his brother, and also gave en- 
couragement to some mistresses, who follow- 
ed his example. When the occupation of a 
foreign power terminated, in 1812, the Bava- 
rian government rewarded Bellesini, by mak- 
ing him director of all the elementary schools 
in the principality of Trent. 



CHAPTER I. 

First years of Bellesini. — He enters the Augu&tinian 
Order. — Catholic Schools. 

Stephen Bellesini was born at Trent, No- 
vember 25th, 1771:, and was baptized in the 
church of St. Mary, which is rendered so il- 
lustrious by the sessions of the Council of 



FATHER BELLESINl's EARLY YEARS. 115 

Trent being held there. His father was a no- 
tary. His mother, who was a pious woman, 
brought up her children in the fear of God. 
At her death, she was attended by her son, 
who was then both a priest and a member of 
a religious order. She asked of Grod the grace 
to be permitted to die on Christmas night. 
Her wish was granted, for she died at mid- 
night. So great were the advantages which 
the child obtained from the lessons of his 
mother, that the parish priest had no diffi- 
culty in permitting him to make his first 
communion when he was seven years old. 
At the age of ten lie was confirmed, by Peter, 
count of Thunn, bishop of Trent. Bellesini 
made all his studies at the college of his na- 
tive city, living at home until he was sixteen 
or seventeen years old, wdien he entered the 
Augustinian order. His father at first was 
opposed to this, but he soon yielded to his en- 
treaties. In 1790 he was sent to the noviti- 
ate at Bologna, and at the expiration of a 
year he made his vows. His piety and his 
talents caused him to be an object of special 
interest, and he was sent to Borne, to make 
his studies in philosophy and theology. He 
was particularly distinguished in his classes, 
and obtained the honors of pro-defendant, 



116 SAINTLY CHARACTERS. 

which is not given in the Augustinian order 
but to the most remarkable men. In 1797, 
Bellesini returned to Bologna, for the higher 
courses of theology ; but he was obliged to 
leave when the armies of the French repub- 
lic entered Italy, for one of the first orders 
issued by the military authorities was the ex- 
pulsion of the religious bodies from the Ro- 
man states. It was with a deep feeling of 
regret that Bellesini quitted his home at Bo- 
logna, and went to take refuge in Trent, with 
the Augustinians of St. Marks, who received 
him with kindness. 

Though he was only in deacon's orders, his 
superiors employed him in preaching. His 
sermons were attended with good results. 
When he was old enough, he was ordained 
priest by the bishop of Trent. He was obliged 
to be carried to the cathedral in a litter, 
for he had just recovered from a long and 
dangerous illness. The judicial inquiry at- 
tests the zeal which he showed in preaching, 
and in hearing confessions, and the holy ex- 
ample which he gave all, by his piety and 
penitent life. 

The change of government opened a new 
field of labor to the servant of God. In 
1S09, an imperial order having suppressed 



THE CHURCH SCHOOLS. 117 

the religious bodies in the Tyrol, the Augus- 
tinians at St. Marks were obliged to quit 
their house, except four, who obtained per- 
mission to remain. Bellesini was one of 
these, and he consoled himself by pursuing 
more steadfastly the work of the ministry. 
But even this he was soon obliged to give up, 
for the new government prescribed an oath, 
to be taken by all priests who exercised their 
public functions. This he refused to do, 
and was compelled to preach no more. At 
this time lie conceived the design of estab- 
lishing his schools, in opposition to the gov- 
ernment. " These," states the process, "were 
a counterbalance to the schools established 
by the politicians ; and when the servant of 
God was forbidden by the government to 
preach, he resolved to bring up the young 
children in the true principles of religion, 
and thus preserve them from the dangers of 
perversion." Their good order excited gen- 
eral admiration. So many boys, and young 
girls, attended them, that the house could 
not hold them all, and he was obliged to find 
another. He trained masters and mistress- 
es, to teach in accordance with the meth- 
od he had established. He caused the acts 
of faith, hope, and charity, to he printed, 



118 SAINTLY CHARACTERS. 

that the children might say them before they 
went to school ; and he provided a large 
supply of pictures and small books, to pre- 
sent to them, to encourage them to attend 
and to follow their studies. He also gave 
them some bread, every morning, during this 
period of great distress. He was very care- 
ful in his selection of mistresses, and having 
found out that one of them only desired to 
gain the salary, and that she was not suffi- 
ciently instructed to discharge her duties, he 
thanked her, and told her he did not require 
her services. These schools were altogether 
gratuitous, and they cost Bellesini, some 
years, ten thousand florins. 

Amongst the children, there were some so 
badly clad that the masters did not like to 
keep them. These he took and formed into 
a separate school, which he taught himself. 
"Whilst he was thus engaged, insults and 
scons were not wanting; for the politicians, 
jealous of the success which attended hi9 
schools, whilst their own were deserted, ask- 
ed the government to suppress them. He 
was in the habit of visiting the parents, to 
ask them to send their children. He fixed 
regular days for their going to confession. 
They were prepared for this, by being taught 



HIS CHARITY. 119 

to make acts of the theological virtues, and 
of contrition, and to examine their conscien- 
ces. He brought them to the church, one 
class after another, and a master or a mis- 
tress attended on each. Towards the end of 
the year, he usually made a distribution of 
prizes, to which he invited the public. Some 
persons in good circumstances, who used to 
send their children to his schools, made, on 
these occasions, presents, which he always 
sent back. 

His charity was not less remarkable. His 
niece states, " that on one occasion several 
poor persons came to borrow some money 
from him, and brought with them baskets, 
which seemed to be full, and which the ser- 
vant of God retained as pledges. These he 
usually gave to my mother to take care of; 
and on opening them, they were found to 
contain only old clothes, which were of no 
value. He made no complaint respecting the 
frauds which had been practised on him. 
When my mother desired him to be more 
careful for the future, he replied that lie 
did not believe that those who came to him 
were to be blamed for deceiving him. I re- 
member being told how he often gave away 
the clothes he had on him, and how he came 



120 SAINTLY CHARACTERS. 

back to the house without a shirt. My moth- 
er said he should be more sparing of his 
shirts, he had so few of them. He replied, 
that, having no money to give a poor man, he 
parted with these. Speaking of the expense 
of the schools, she added, that but for the 
special dispensation of Providence, they must 
have been reduced to beggary — the schools 
cost them so much — and they were obliged 
at the same time to maintain not only the 
officers, but also several of the soldiers. Al- 
though my father was sorry when my uncle 
left us, yet he thought it was time he should 
go, or he would have spent all our patrimony. 
His Life was that of a penitent. He ate very 
little, and often brought to a poor family the 
portion of his food he had not touched. 
When there were any needy persons ill whom 
he knew, he not only went to see them, but 
also gave them relief, and stayed beside the 
dying during their last moments." 

After days thus spent in works of charity, 
he passed most of the nights in prayer. " I 
know not," states one of the witnesses, " what 
rest he took, but I have heard from my moth- 
er, that when, at night, he retires into his 
room to pray, he spends a long time in med- 
itation. Father Orsola told me, that his room 



HIS DEVOTIONS. 121 

being next that of the servant of God, he was 
often awakened during the night by his sighs 
and his groans." He was in the habit of go- 
ing to bed very late, and of rising very early. 
He usually said his mass at an early hour, 
and some person was ready to open the door 
for^ him. Sometimes, however, he did not 
leave his room, and when we went to see if 
any tiling was the matter with him, we found 
him on his knees in prayer, or with a book in 
his hands. In all probability he had fallen 
asleep in this position, and did not stir during 
the entire night. He often remained immo- 
vable in his devotions for a long time ; and 
he heard with difficulty those who called him. 
He kept the constitutions of his order as faith- 
fully as he could, under the circumstances. 
All the city respected him as a saint. He 
usually made a short journey during the va- 
cation, not so much for recreation as to preach 
and encourage others to establish schools like 
those he had founded. 

In 1812, Bavaria took possession of the Ty- 
rol. One of the first acts of the government 
was to name Father Bellesini as director- 
general of schools. In this position he en- 
deavored to do away with every vestige of 
those of the former government. He abol- 
11 



122 SAINTLY CHARACTERS. 

ished all their rules and regulations, and es- 
tablished in their place those calculated to 
advance piety and religion. The government 
approved of these, and, as length of time has 
continued to show their excellence, the Aus- 
trians have continued them to the present 
day. He filled the office of inspector^ of 
schools until 1817. Anxious to retain him 
in his present post, he was offered a canon ry 
in the cathedral of Trent, by his superior, 
which he refused, as his vows obliged him to 
go elsewhere. 



CHAPTER H. 

Father Bellesini leaves Trent, and enters again the 
Augustinian order. — He is made Master of Nov- 
ices. 

Father Bellesini constantly regretted be* 
insr obliged to leave his convent, and asked 
of God grace to be permitted to go back to 
it. The restoration of the religious orders, 
by Pins VII., in 1814, gave him an opportu- 
nity of fulfilling his desires. He therefore 
turned his attention towards the pontifical 
states; and seeing that the inhabitants of 
Trent would not willingly consent to his leav- 



HE LEAVES TRENT. 123 

ing them, he resolved to go away quietly, 
without intrusting his secret to any person, 
or getting a passport. The letter which he 
wrote from Ferrara, announcing his future 
intentions and resigning his post in connec- 
tion with the schools, caused the greatest con- 
sternation. The government, hoping to bring 
him back by some means, threatened him 
with banishment and confiscation of his prop- 
erty, if he did not return. He gladly left 
them a portion of his salary which remained 
unpaid, and went into voluntary exile. 

Two circumstances seemed to hinder his 
departure. The Austrian government re- 
fused to give passports to members of reli- 
gious communities, and a law had been made 
expressly forbidding those who were expelled 
from their convents leaving the country to 
enter the religious orders elsewhere. Father 
Bellesini gives the following account of his 
departure from Tyrol. The convents being 
suppressed in that country, he had no hopes 
of entering one again, as there was but little 
prospect of their re-establishment. He deter- 
mined, therefore, to risk all dangers which 
going away privately might bring on him, as 
Boon as he knew that the convents were open 
in the states of the Church. It was not pos- 



124: SAINTLY CHARACTERS. 

sible for him to obtain a passport to go out- 
side the Austrian dominions ; so he got one 
for the Venetian states. It was vacation time, 
and it was supposed he was only going to 
spend his holidays in the country. His rela- 
tions believed he was making a short tour, 
and would come back again. He took a car- 
riage to proceed on his journey, and when he 
arrived at the place where the police officers 
asked for his passport, he showed them the 
one he had, and said he was going into a 
neighboring country, which he was about to 
pass through. Arrived at the frontiers, he 
sent on the carriage, and walked behind, with 
his breviary in his hand, commending him- 
self to God. The guards paid no attention to 
him. This danger passed, another presented 
itself, in his having to cross the Po. The 
carriage was already embarked, and the pass- 
ports of the other passengers had been exam- 
ined. Father Bellesini found himself in the 
0-reatest difficulty, not knowing what to do, 
when he was desired to make haste to go on 
board, and not to delay the boat. In the hur- 
ry they did not ask him to show his passport. 
When he arrived at Ferrara, he made him- 
self known to Cardinal Spina, the legate, and 
told him the motives which had induced him 



HIS ARRIVAL IN ROME. 125 

to leave his country. The cardinal gave him 
a passport for Rome, so that he was enabled, 
without any difficulty, to reach the Augus- 
tinian convent in that city. Whilst at Fer- 
rara, he lodged at the convent of the Francis- 
cans, and wrote to his brother, who lived in 
Trent, to inform him that he had arrived at a 
place of safety, and that he need not take 
any trouble about him, as he was going to 
enter once more the religious order to which 
he belonged. 

Father Rotelli, the general of the Augus- 
tinians, intrusted to Bellesini the mastership 
of the novices. This office he filled four years 
at Rome, and five years at Citta-di-Pieve, 
where the novitiate was transferred, with 
great satisfaction to all. The virtues which 
he practised during those nine years, were 
the admiration of all who knew him. His 
charity was manifested by the zeal, with which 
he discharged his ministry towards all, with- 
out any respect of persons. Full of solici- 
tude in his reprimands, paternal in his cor- 
rections, discreet in his commands, and mak- 
ing allowances for the weaknesses of all, he 
fulfilled his duties with care and diligence. 
He kept all the rules of the order with an 
angelical purity, and a constant hatred of 
11* 



126 SAINTLY CHARACTERS. 

himself, which showed his contempt for the 
things of the world, in order that he might 
win the joys of heaven. 

The novices loved him much, in conse- 
quence of the humility and tenderness with 
which lie treated them. When any were ill, 
he was to be found day and night beside their 
bed, administering to them all that they stood 
in need of. The Citta-di- Pieve is situated in 
rather a cold climate. Father Bellesini was in 
the habit of awaking all who were in the 
house, though it was the duty of the novices 
to do this in their turn. He lighted the fire, 
boiled the water, and carried it into the 
cells. He was careful in correcting the least 
faults, and the penances which he usually in- 
flicted for the transgressing the rules, were 
the kissing the earth, which he called their 
mother, or depriving them of some portion of 
their dinner. Sometimes he kept those who 
acted wrong, from the chapel of the novitiate 
for two or three days. He led all the spirit- 
ual exercises; and used often to visit them dur- 
ing the night, in order to see if they were 
all asleep ; for it was forbidden to sit up 
without permission, even for the sake of 
study. A person whose duty often brought 
him to his room, states it to be his belief that 



HIS COMMUNITY LIFE. 127 

he never went to his bed ; for he attached 
pins to the covering, and finding them in the 
same place every day, he saw that the bed 
had not been stirred. He was often found 
sleeping on the ground, and never but once 
on his bed, when he was suffering from a se- 
vere disease. All must venerate a man thus 
constantly occupied in prayer. His actions 
were quite natural, there was nothing forced 
or constrained in them. 



CHAPTER III. 

His Life in the Community. — The Venerable Servant 
of God asl's to be transferred to Genazzano. 

Father Bellesini earnestly desired the re- 
establishment of the perfect community life 
in all the convents of the order. He prayed 
constantly to God to grant this grace, and 
engaged the novices in the same holy work. 
He did all that was in his power, to inspire 
them with the love of religious poverty. He 
told them often that they should be rich in 
spirit but poor in earthly goods ; that they 
must lay aside every attachment they may 
have formed for worldly ease and comfort, 



128 SAINTLY CHARACTERS. 

and imitate in this point the poverty of St. 
Augustine. It is well known, from many 
facts, that he was a supporter of perfect com- 
munity life. He loved it much, and was de- 
sirous that others should follow it. He said 
that, after the grace of baptism and religious 
vocation, he looked upon it as the especial 
grace of God to be able to live in perfect 
poverty; and often stated that every religious 
who had the opportunity was bound to em- 
brace it, as a means of obtaining perfection. 
He often quoted in support of this maxim 
both St. Thomas and St. Augustine. 

His most ardent wishes, so holy and so con- 
formable to religious perfection, were grant- 
ed, when Leo XII., in 1826, established the 
perfect community life, in the convent of 
Genazzano. Father Bellesini asked permis- 
sion to go there. This was granted him, 
when his time, as master of novices, was com- 
pleted. There he practised the rule of pover- 
ty during four years, until, the parish being 
vacant by the death of the curate, he was 
chosen to replace him. 

He performed the duty of curate during 
nine years of his life. The holy man, al- 
ready broken down by mortification and sick- 
ness, did not misspend any time. He was 



HIS LIFE AS A PASTOR. 129 

Indefatigable in promoting the worship of 
God, in administering the sacraments, in giv- 
ing spiritual instruction to his nock, in taking 
care of the poor, in reforming the manners 
of his people, and in observing ecclesiastical 
rules. He applied himself to the discharge 
of his parochial duties, and never spent a 
moment in indulging himself. Broken down 
by years and by disease, he was ready, at all 
hours of the day, to preach, to hear confes- 
sions, to visit the sick, even in the most dis- 
tant parts of his parish. He never showed 
the least weariness or the least impatience. 
Nothing could ever stop him or hinder him. 
The cold of winter and the heat of summer 
only seemed to add to his zeal. 

During all his life he was a model of a per- 
fect pastor. He not only preached on every 
Sunday, and on every day of obligation, but 
also on every day during Lent. Teaching 
the catechism was his greatest delight ; he 
was engaged in doing this almost every morn- 
ing and every evening during the year. He 
did much to sanctify the Sunday, and to put 
an end to scandals in his parish. He estab- 
lished the Sisters of Charity at Genazzano, 
in concert with the venerable Gaspar de 
Buffalo. He never feared to run in debt 



130 SAINTLY CHARACTERS. 

when his poor people needed any tiling. It 
was beside the bed of the sick and the dy- 
ing that his charity showed itself most. — 
There he brought nourishment and support of 
every description. He spent his entire time 
in ministering to them. None of his parish- 
ioners died during the period he was at Genaz- 
zano without receiving the last sacraments. 

His life in private was the same that it was 
at Trent, and in the novitiate at Rome, and 
in Citta - di - Pieve. Constant mortification, 
continual prayer and self-denial, were his 
daily rule of life. During the epidemic which 
visited his parish, this servant of God, aged 
65, might l>e seen running, day and night, 
through the streets, to attend the rich and 
the poor, to hear their confessions, to admin- 
ister the sacraments to them, or to comfort 
them in their last moments. The faithful 
parish priest died when it was raging with 
its greatest violence, on the 2d of February, 
1840. 

Before giving an account of the virtues 
which the venerable servant of God practised 
during his lifetime, it may be interesting to 
state the evidence of some of the witnesses 
who were examined before the judicial inqui- 
ry respecting his pastoral zeal. " When," 



HIS C.1RE OF THE SICK. 131 

says one, " I entered the convent of Genaz- 
zanb, he was already curate of the church of 
the Good Council ; and, as far as I was able 
to see or know, he fulfilled his duties with 
zeal and charity. I remarked that he show- 
ed the greatest desire to procure the glory of 
God, by the works of piety and devotion 
which he established amongst the people. 
He was constantly engaged in preaching and 
in teaching the Christian doctrine and the 
catechism. He sought after souls, to form 
them in the fear and love of God, and to 
make them at peace with him. He was ever 
watchful to preserve the good morals of his 
flock, and to keep them faithful to the com- 
mandments of God. He took care both of 
their temporal and spiritual wants. Persons 
of all ages and conditions found in him their 
support and their consolation. I remember 
that when the typhus fever appeared at Gen- 
azzano, in 1839, he was always engaged in 
affording temporal and spiritual relief to his 
parishioners. Notwithstanding a fall which 
he received in 1840, he continued his holy 
work, never enjoying any repose. A few 
days after this he caught the fever, which 
carried him to his grave." 

" He explained," adds another witness, 



132 SAINTLY CHARACTERS. 

" the gospel on every Sunday and holiday, 
and also on days of devotion. He always, on 
the appointed days, applied the mass for the 
people. He was especially careful in observ- 
ing the laws of the diocese, and all the pas- 
toral letters that were issued by the bisliop. 
He was alwa} T s ready to go on sick calls. 
The dying he prepared for confession, and 
administered to them the sacraments. When 
he brought back the Blessed Sacrament to 
the church, he returned to the sick person, 
and spoke to him on spiritual things. lie 
was careful to enter the deaths in a book he 
kept for that purpose, in order that he might 
say the office and celebrate mass for them. 
No matter whether the family was rich or 
poor, he always treated them in the same 
manner. lie generally rose early in the 
morning, and went to the choir, where he 
made his meditation, and then said mass. 
He then heard another, and assisted at the 
rosary, always on his knees. He remained 
in the choir, praying, until he was called to 
the confessional, or obliged to visit some sick 
person, or attend to the duties of the parish. 
He said tierce with the community, and was 
present at the high mass, and afterwards re- 
cited sext and none. During dinner he was 



HIS DEVOTIONS IN THE CHURCH. 133 

very attentive to the spiritual reading. He 
visited the Blessed Sacrament with the com- 
munity, and retired to his room, where he 
was ready to listen to all the calls of his peo- 
ple. He joined with the religious in saying 
vespers and compline, and staid in the choir, 
depriving himself of all recreation, unless 
when he went to visit the sick. Before the 
ave he said the litany with the people. After 
this he joined in mental prayer with the re- 
ligious, and when this was concluded, he was 
ready to hear confessions or instruct any who 
needed it. After supper he went to the choir 
with the others, and when all retired to bed, 
he remained there, and did not leave until it 
w r as very late. Often he was found in the 
morning in the choir, in the same place where 
he had been on the night before. Such was 
the life which he led every day. Such was 
his perseverance in prayer, in good works, 
and in piety, notwithstanding his continual 
sufferings. These show in the servant of 
God a power of mind really heroic and su- 
pernatural." 



12 



134: SAINTLY CHARACTERS. 



CHAPTER IV. 

Virtues of Father Bellesini. His Theological Vir- 
tues. 

Virtues, which are the habits of the soul, 
can only be known by external acts. Pro- 
fession of the faith is the first act of virtue. 
Father Bellesini not only recited every day 
the Apostles' creed, and the acts of faith, 
hope, and charity, but also thanked God for 
having been horn in the bosom of the Catho- 
lic church. lie praised the grandeur of the 
gift of faith, which is given to Catholics, but 
not to infidels. He often said, that if it were 
necessary, he would shed his blond for the 
Catholic faith. He prayed for the conversion 
of infidels, and was heard to express a desire 
to suffer martyrdom for their sake. lie often 
endeavored to excite in others a resolution to 
shed their blood in defence of the faith. He 
was careful in causing those children who 
were under his care at Trent, and the nov- 
ices, to make acts of faith. This also made 
him anxious about the Christian instruction 
of his parishioners. 

Constant prayer springs from faith, and is 



HIS FAITH. 135 

a certain sign, of it. The holy practice of 
continual prayer, in which the servant of God 
indulged, has been already recorded. From 
his earliest age, it was one of his greatest de- 
lights, and when he entered the cloister he 
ceased not to pray, night and day. No one 
ever went into his room without finding him 
on his knees in the attitude of prayer ; and 
he passed the greater part of the night in 
this manner. He never interrupted these, 
even in the midst of his greatest sufferings. 
On the last day of his life, he did not fail to 
recite the rosary, and his other devotions. 
When those around him urged him to desist 
from doing so, he said, " How can I appear 
before the Blessed Virgin, if I have not said 
her rosary % " 

His perfect submission to God, his self-de- 
nial, and his patience in adversity, are also 
marks of this virtue. Father Bellesini had a 
very exalted idea of God, and a very humble 
one of himself. He was wont to say, we are 
useless servants. He added, that we should 
always hope in God, and think nothing of 
our own powers. He received every one 
with kindness, even those who had caused 
him to suffer. He rejoiced in every adversity 
which happened to him, especially if it were 



136 SAINTLY CHARACTERS. 

a temporal one ; and he endured insults and 
affronts with joy depicted on his countenance, 
for he had hopes in none but in God. He 
was contented and resigned in his sickness, 
and desired to suffer, that he might in some 
respect imitate our divine master. He asked 
our Lord to grant him patience and pardon. 
This was his only request. 

Another sign of faith is submission, respect 
and love for the Church, for the Pope, and for 
the religious orders. As often as a new nov- 
ice entered the novitiate, he brought him to 
St. Peter's, and to the Holy Father. lie de- 
lighted in this opportunity of throwing him- 
self at the feet of the Pope, and kissing them 
88 an expression of his profound respect for 
the visible head of the Church. In walking 
with the novices on the Porta Pia, in Borne, 
he used frequently to meet with Pius VII., 
when he always performed the same act of 
homage. He respected him much, and was 
grieved to find what he suffered when he was 
earned off by the French Government. He 
manifested the greatest joy when he returned. 
Whenever he mentioned the Pope's name, 
he always bowed his head. 

His faith showed itself in his great devo- 
tion for all the mysteries of religion. The 



HIS DEVOTION TO SATING MASS. 137 

majesty of God, and the wonders of the ador- 
able Trinity, were the constant object of his 
meditation, and of his prayers. Amongst the 
mysteries of the Word made flesh, he propa- 
gated especially the devotion of the most 
Precious Blood, instituted by Buffalo. The 
Blessed Sacrament was the chief object of 
his adoration. He delighted in passing en- 
tire nights before the tabernacle. The piety 
with which he celebrated the holy sacrifice, 
surpassed every thing. One would imagine 
he saw Christ present on the altar. From 
the moment of the consecration to the con- 
sumption of the elements, he fixed his eyes 
with tenderness upon the host. "With a coun- 
tenance smiling, and filled with the fire of 
charity, he conversed with our Lord in the 
Blessed Sacrament, until he seemed quite 
filled with the love of God, and bowed down 
in reverence, in sorrow, and in humility. 
He never omitted saying mass, until his last 
illness. A preparation of half an hour al- 
ways preceded it ; and the thanksgiving was 
of the same length. 

His devotion for the Blessed Yirgin show- 
ed itself from his infancy, and increased with 
his years. Every day he recited a number 
of prayers in her honor. He made the nov- 
12 * 



138 SAINTLY CHARACTERS. 

ices and his parishioners join in these exer- 
cises. Before every feast of the Blessed Vir- 
gin he made pious novennas. The Blessed 
Virgin of Good Council, which was the spir- 
itual treasure of the parish, was the especial 
object of his veneration. He often desired to 
die there, in order that his body might, rest 
near the venerable sanctuary. The judicial 
inquiry attests the affection which he had 
for St. Michael, and for the guardian angels. 
Devotion to the saints is a great proof of the 
spirit of faith. " He believes in God," says 
St. Laurence Justinian, "who believes in his 
saints, through whom God speaks.'' What 
will be related respecting the other theologi- 
cal virtues, also serves as a proof of his faith 
— for each of these virtues makes the other 
more perfect. 

Hope is the sister of Faith. "The one," 
says St. Bernard, " believes that those things 
will come to pass ; the other begins to hope 
they will come to pass." Perfect faith as- 
sists us, and enables us to have hope in God 
as our last end, and the object we should 
seek to obtain ; and also to look for all the 
help and all the means that will make us gain 
this end. It will also establish our trust in 
God in all our wants and in all our necessi- 



HIS MORTIFICATION. 139 

ties. It will support us with patience in all 
adversity, and make ns with constancy and 
joy bear every evil — knowing that the life 
eternal will more than compensate us for all 
these. The venerable Stephen Bellesini had 
all the marks which show what the nature of 
his life was. God was all for him. He look- 
ed upon every thing in the world as nothing, 
when compared with the knowledge of our 
Lord. Having given up every thing to em- 
brace a life of religious mortification, he re- 
newed his sacrifice when he left his schools 
in Trent, his relations, his country, and the 
honors which surrounded him, to find a 
perfect abnegation of self, in the long mar- 
tyrdom of the religious state. He placed no 
confidence in all the good works which he 
did, but trusted himself altogether to the 
mercy of God, through the merits of Christ, 
and the protection of the Blessed Virgin. 
Besides the acts of hope, which he made the 
novices recite every day, he had a prayer, 
which he used constantly, and in which he 
asked God to make us sure of our eternal 
salvation by his grace. Each morning he 
formed the intention of doing every thing in 
union with the pure intention which Jesus 
and Mary had, during their lifetime, and 



140 SAINTLY CHARACTERS. 

with that of the saints, and all the just 
who are in the world. He desired to ob- 
tain that grace which would keep him from 
committing mortal sin during his lifetime. 
He also instructed the novices to make an 
act of penance, in which they asked God for 
pardon of their sins, and prayed him to ac- 
cept of their sorrow, through the merits of 
our Saviour, and to bless their good resolu- 
tions. He inspired the same confidence in 
his parishioners, and converted many sinners 
by means of this. In temporal matters he 
placed his trust in God, without having the 
least doubt as to the result. His hope also 
showed itself by the patience with which 
he bore adverse circumstances ; particularly 
when his enemies were persecuting him in 
consequence of the schools. He always pre- 
served the same peace of mind, and the same 
joy on his countenance. His words were, " Let 
the will of God be done." Another mark of 
his hope may be seen in the frequent prayers 
which he offered up to enable him to have 
his eyes fixed, amidst all his toils and all his 
trials, on God himself, who was his recom- 
pense and his reward. Hence, also, sprung 
his desire to advance in the way of perfection, 
drawing back before nothing, being assured 



HIS CHARITY. 141 

that one day all will come right, and that 
God will make him eternally happy. He 
often expressed his hope respecting death. 
He looked upon it as an object to be loved, 
and especially dear to him. The desire of the 
apostle, " to be with Christ," was always his. 
He would lift his eyes to heaven, and with a 
sweet smile, would say, he was waiting until 
his change came. So great was his tranquil- 
lity of mind, and the joy with which he was 
filled, that he always said he saw death ap- 
proaching, with delight, and that he could 
only explain this by the firm hope which 
he had, united with the fear of God, of pos- 
sessing the eternal happiness of paradise. 

It may now be interesting to say something 
in connection with his charity. Father Bel- 
lesiiii esteemed God above every thing, and 
only desired to know him, to love him, and 
to serve him. From this came his untiring 
zeal for the education of the children and of 
the novices ; for the sanctification of his par- 
ishioners, for divine worship, and for the sanc- 
tity of the church. Any offence against God 
caused him much pain. In his preaching, 
and in his hearing confessions, he inculcated 
a (lee}) hatred against sin. He endeavored 
to produce amongst all a desire for the glory 



142 SAINTLY CHARACTERS. 

of God. In his sermons against blasphemy, 
he showed the great sin all committed who 
were guilty of it, and he taught them to in- 
voke the name of God with honor, and with 
respect. His anxiety was to make them 
praise our Lord. He was not satisfied with 
loving God himself, he desired all others to 
love him. 

If we consider the union of the soul with 
God as a mark of charity, it appears that this 
was manifested, in an especial manner, by 
Father Bellesini. His love for prayer, in 
which he was engaged both day and night, 
is a proof of this. Ur was always occupied 
about God, or about matters connected with 
him. This is another proof of his charity — 
for love makes us think about the objects <>t' 
our affection. Another mark of this, was the 
fervor with which he celebrated the holy sac- 
rifice, and the delight which he ever had in 
speaking of God, and of his majesty, and of 
his attributes. So great was the sorrow which 
he had for the sufferings of our Lord, that 
the crime of the Jew.- was an object of espe- 
cial detestation to him ; and although he 
prayed much for the conversion of the nation, 
he refused to hold any intercourse with them. 
At the sound of the bell, on every Friday, he 



HIS CHARITY. 148 

made the pious exercise in honor of the ago- 
ny of our Lord. His life and his actions 
proved his charity for God, whom he follow- 
ed as his great and only good ; it was for him 
he endured all the sufferings which he under- 
went. He looked upon him as the begin- 
ning and end of all things, and he gave him 
an account of all his thoughts, words, and ac- 
tions, and exhorted all others to do the same. 
His supernatural gifts are undoubted proofs 
of his perfect charity. 

The privations which he imposed upon 
himself, so as to be able to assist the poor, 
are further evidences of this. To strip him- 
self even of the necessaries of life, formed his 
greatest joy. At Genazzano he might be 
seen asking for alms at the door of almost 
every house ; and, in winter time, carrying 
wood on his shoulders to all who were in 
want of it. His deep interest in persons con- 
fined to their beds through illness, exceeds 
even his anxiety for those who were in want- 
He ministered to their necessities, and healed 
their souls. When one of the novices was 
unwell for two or three days, he gladly 
rendered him all the services he needed. 
AVhen a young novice had a pain in his 
chest, and was confined to his bed for nearly 



144: SAINTLY CHARACTERS. 

three months, the servant of God assisted him 
day and night, and slept on the ground be- 
side his bed, or on the chairs, and never omit- 
ted any of the duties of the novitiate. He 
waited on him, and performed the most me- 
nial occupations. He always attended the 
sick, notwithstanding his own infirmities. 

During the epidemic which raged in his 
parish in 1839, he went through all parts of 
it many times during the day, and passed 
entire nights beside the sick and the dying. 
He earned for himself the palm of martyr- 
dom in his work of charity, and died a vic- 
tim to the typhus fever, caught in the dis- 
charge of his duty. 

Amongst the many works of charity which 
Father Bellesini continually practised, the 
brotherly correction of sinners must not be 
forgotten. This virtue, so much recommend- 
ed by the gospel and by the doctors of the 
Church, the servant of God followed, at Trent 
in the schools, and at Rome, and at Citta- 
di-Pieve in the novitiate — nor did he forget 
it in his parish at Genazzano. Injuries, of- 
fences, and taunts, did not do away with his 
charity. He took particular care to recon- 
cile those who were at enmity with one an- 
other. All the works of zeal which he per- 



HIS MORAL VIRTUES. 145 

formed in the exercise of liis holy ministry 
are proofs of the charity which animated him. 
He was a perfect model of a pastor, and of a 
priest after God's heart. 



CHAPTEE Y. 

Moral Virtues. — Prudence. — Justice. — Temperance. 

Father Bellesini showed his prudence in 
his own conduct, as well as in that which 
concerns others. His faithfulness in the ser- 
vice of God, his thoughts always fixed on 
matters belonging to his eternal salvation, 
the dislike which he had for the things of 
the world, and the care which he took in 
avoiding evil, idleness, and vainglory, show 
his prudence in matters connected with him- 
self. Another evidence of this was his at- 
tachment to a religious life. All doctors 
look upon the adoption of this as an act of 
the greatest prudence, and as the most effica- 
cious means of obtaining the end for which 
we were created. Father Bellesini, in order 
that he might enter again into the cloister, 
gave up all the advantages which belong- 
ed to him as the director-general of schools. 
13 



14:6 SAINTLY CHARACTERS. 

He was always desirous to cause others to 
enter the religious state. He showed the nov- 
ices the great advantage of observing the 
evangelical councils, and the rules of religion. 
He made them reflect on the means of sanc- 
tification which they had in this state, if they 
wished to profit by it. He also endeavored 
to induce them to become models of piety — 
knowing that a perfect community life ordi- 
narily produces the renunciation of a person's 
own will, of his own interest, and of every 
worldly thought. Thus they were enabled 
to live after the pattern of the ancient fathers, 
and of the apostles, possessing all things 
and yet having nothing. He let no opportu- 
nity pass in order to make them taste of per- 
fect poverty. All the members spoke in his 
praise, and he regulated the community at 
Genazzano by his observance of the rule. 
It is a part of Christian prudence to give 
brotherly advice without causing irritation or 
disgust ; whenever he thought it was likely 
to produce those effects, he did not offer it. 
He waited till reason once more gained the 
ascendency, and then, with a smile or with 
a pleasant word, he won the confidence of 
the person who had gone astray, and pro- 
duced in him a horror of vice and a love of 



HIS PEUDENCE. 147 

virtue. The gentleness of his manners and 
his observations obtained easily from others 
promises of amendment. Wherever he dis- 
covered the least disorders, he always took 
means to apply the most suitable remedy. 

He made use of the same prudence in the 
management of his parish, and changed its 
condition, by banishing the scandals and the 
bad practices which had taken root in it. 
His prudence was especially manifested at 
the time of the revolution which took place 
in the Tyrol. Although watched by wicked 
men, on account of the good which he did, 
he never compromised himself with them. 
He endeavored to appease their anger, and 
caused them to see the prudence with which 
he directed the schools. To the wisdom of 
the serpent he joined the simplicity of the 
dove. Sincere in all his actions, he never 
gave cause to suspect dissimulation, or that 
he acted from any mere worldly motive. 

The virtue of justice embraces two objects 
— both God and our neighbor. He seemed 
desirous of rendering God all the justice that 
was his due ; for he made him supreme in 
every thing, and never ceased to thank him 
for all the benefits he had received at his 
hands. Each day he invited all creation, and 



148 SAINTLY CHARACTERS. 

especially the Blessed Virgin and his holy 
patrons, to unite with him in thanking God. 
He made the novices practise this exercise 
every morning. He recognized God, with 
all the powers of his soul, as his Creator, his 
Redeemer, his supreme benefactor, and as his 
preserver. His devotion, also, to the second 
person of the Trinity was very great. Often, 
during the day, he repeated these words : 
"My Redeemer, have pity on me!" He 
thanked God for all the benefits, both general 
and special, which he bestowed on him. 

In connection with the other object of jus- 
tice, it has already been seen how Father Bel- 
lesini discharged this witli respect to the 
novices, his parishioners, and all those with 
whom he came in contact. The witnesses on 
the judicial inquiry entered into minute de- 
tails respecting these, and especially the de- 
sire which he had not to wound the reputa- 
tion of any person : for it is necessary, in the 
process of canonization, to prove that all the 
Christian virtues have been fulfilled. He 
was careful in all connected with modesty 
and chastity ; nor was his obedience less per- 
fect, for the eagerness with which he entered 
the convent once more, in 1817, proves this. 
He practised this virtue all his life, without 



HIS OBEDIENCE. 149 

listening to his inclinations or to his repug- 
nances. His desire was to lead a retired life, 
engaged in the delights of contemplation. 
He accepted the charge of master of novices 
only through love of obedience. Notwith- 
standing his antipathy to the world and to 
the affairs connected with it, he took charge 
of a parish when obedience imposed it on 
him. He told the novices to be like chil- 
dren in the hands of those who governed 
the community, and never to follow their 
own will or judgment in any matter, but in 
all these things to submit themselves to the 
will of the superior. He told them they 
should be like leaves, which the wind turns 
to one side or to the other. 

Much that has been already said will show 
how great was his love for poverty. At the 
beginning of his religious life he renounced 
the pension which he had received from his 
family, and during the suppression of the or- 
der, he observed it very faithfully, for he 
never kept the money which he received 
from the government as having been a mem- 
ber of a religious body, but gave it to the 
support of the schools, or to the relief of the 
pool*. From his returning to the cloister un- 
til the time he joined the perfect community 
13* 



150 SAINTLY CHARACTEKS. 

life at Genazzano, he made use of his pecu- 
liu?n, or the portion that was allotted to him, 
only in obedience to the will of his superiors. 
He had nothing in his room but what was 
absolutely necessary, and it was furnished 
like those of the novices. He wore the 
coarsest habit that the rule allowed, and said 
that a religious should show himself in pub- 
lic by good and holy works. His shirt was 
made of wool such as the hermits used to 
wear in former times. His soutan was like 
that of others, to avoid all appearance of sin- 
gularity. 

The virtue of perseverance was also seen in 
the life of the venerable Father Bellesini. 
He never yielded to repose or to sleep, and 
followed a most austere life. His ministerial 
labors, in his parish and with the novices, 
show how steadfastly he followed this virtue. 
Besides enduring many disagreeable things, 
and observing all the rules of his order, he 
bore with the greatest fortitude his continual 
sufferings. Joy was always depicted on his 
countenance. Once, when at table with the 
novices, he seemed to suffer a great deal, and 
when told that he might, if he pleased, retire, 
and seek for some means of alleviating his 
pain, he refused to do so, and stayed, though 



HIS ABSTINENCE. 151 

lie could not conceal the amount of torture 
which he endured. When the surgeons were 
about to perform an operation on him, the 
only words which he spoke, were, " The will 
of the Lord be done." 

He never had any worldly desires. His 
temper was rather warm, but this he brought 
down, by continual efforts, to the most angel- 
ic sweetness. He had learned to restrain his 
eyes and his tongue, for he never fixed the 
former even on his relations, and never spoke, 
but for the glory of God and the salvation of 
souls. All the true servants of the cross en- 
deavor to govern their passions, but few suc- 
ceed in this, and those who do are persons of 
heroic virtue. 

Abstinence and sobriety are connected with 
temperance. Father Bellesini never took 
any wine, except as much as prevented him 
from appearing to be singular when at table. 
He seldom ate more than once during the 
day, and never except at the usual meals, no 
matter how much he suffered from fatigue or 
from weariness in the discharge of his du- 
ties. He observed not only the fasts of the 
Church and of his order, but also the eve of 
the feasts of the Blessed "Virgin ; on all Fridays 
in March, and on the three days before East- 



152 SAIXTLY CHARACTERS. 

er, he lived on a little pottage or on bread and 
water, and this was his only repast. He did 
not even take the rest he needed. When in 
the world as well as in the cloister, he passed 
the night in prayer, or slept on the ground, 
or on planks. He deprived himself of all en- 
joyment, and of all repose. He was never 
seen to leave the convent unless when duty 
obliged him. He omitted none of those ma- 
cerations of the body, of which the saints 
have given so many examples. 

All these virtues of Father Bellesini were 
based on humility. His talents and his piety 
ought naturally to have surrounded him with 
honor and with praise. lie avoided these 
with as much ardor as the most ambitious 
man would seek after them. He concealed 
his good abilities, and was always ready to 
give up his own opinions and to follow those 
of another. He judged himself to be a use- 
less servant, and the most unworthy of all — 
always taking the last place — and speaking 
well of the talents and virtues of others. He 
desired to be guided by them, though he was 
himself able to direct and rule, so great were 
his experience and his virtues. In his spirit- 
ual doubts, and in the affairs of his parish, 
he alwavs asked counsel of his confessor, or 



HIS HUMILITY. 153 

of the wisest of his brethren. He looked 
upon himself as a poor sinner, who had need 
of the advice and direction of others. In his 
last illness he asked all those who visited him 
to suggest some pious sentiment, and some- 
thing which would urge him to implore the 
mercy of God in his last moments. He 
looked upon himself as a great sinner, and 
unworthy of the graces of God. In his let- 
ters he often stated that if we desired to re- 
semble the Immaculate Lamb, we should 
consider ourselves as the lowest and the 
most imperfect of all, and respect every one, 
and that our spiritual nourishment must be, 
to obey him whose duty it was to direct 
and rule our conduct; and when we had 
acted thus, we could say we were doing 
the will of God. He often told others they 
should suffer every thing with patience, 
and without complaining respecting it. He 
also said that it is our duty, to make 
known our most secret thoughts to our spirit- 
ual director, to rejoice at humiliations, and to 
thank those who found fault with us or cor- 
rected us ; to look upon ourselves as the most 
unworthy of all, and to feel pleasure in filling 
the most menial offices ; to love poverty and 
simplicity ; to humble ourselves in all our 



154 SAINTLY CHARACTERS. 

faults and shortcomings before God ; and then 
to go on our way with onr courage renewed, 
our fervor unabated, and with full confidence 
in the goodness of God. 

The above is but a brief outline of the vir- 
tues of the eminent servant of God. In the 
original process there is a more detailed ac- 
count of the heroic disposition which inspired 
virtues so perfect, and united with such con- 
stancy and purity. 



CnAPTER VI. 

Miracles. — Reputation for Sanctity. — Death. 

St. Laurence Justinian tells us, " that the 
true friends of God are filled with abundant 
graces, and are also endowed with the most 
eminent gifts." These celestial graces are 
given to adorn the servant of our Lord, and to 
make others know that he is a saint, and is 
united to God by the closest bonds of charity. 

The gift of prophecy was very remarkable 
in the Yenerable Bellesini. Two years be- 
fore his departure for Trent, he knew, by a 
heavenly vision, that his order would be re- 
stored ; and he related this to a priest in 



HIS MIRACLES. 155 

Trent, who was connected with him in con- 
ducting the schools. He foretold the restora- 
tion of the perfect community life a long time 
before it had taken place, and also the cessa- 
tion of an epidemic. When his niece stated 
her intention to enter a convent during the 
autumn, he desired her to do so during the 
summer, for certain obstacles would arise 
which might prevent her. These actually 
took place. He told a great many persons 
the day, the hour, and the moment when he 
should die. He often told the novices their 
future success in the order, and in their 
studies. He mentioned to them, also, the ac- 
cidents which they were likely to meet with. 
The judicial inquiry presents many instances 
of his having the gift of counsel, and the 
many conversions, which he wrought by his 
conversations, are evidences of this. He had 
frequent ecstasies, and possessed the gift of 
contemplation. His letters, when opened, 
emitted a most beautiful perfume, unlike any 
thing natural. When travelling, once, in an 
open carriage, the snow, which fell in abun- 
dance, did not come near the place which he 
occupied, much to the astonishment of the 
driver. He also performed many miraculous 
cures. 



156 SAINTLY CHARACTERS. 

The reputation for sanctity which he en- 
joyed during his lifetime, was the result of 
his merits, and of his virtues. From his ear- 
liest years, even before he entered the con- 
vent, he was considered as another St. Aloy- 
sius. The curate admitted him to his first 
communion when he was seven years old. 
At the novitiate, and at the convents where 
he made his studies, his fervor and his vir- 
tues caused all to see in him one, whom 'God 
would lead in the footsteps of the saints. 
When the revolution obliged him to return 
to Trent, his preaching gained him the esteem 
of all; and the schools which he had opened, 
and the works of charity in which he was 
engaged, caused him to be looked upon as a 
saint. At Trent, a number of illustrious per- 
sons were wont to come, and consult with him 
respecting different matters. When he re- 
turned to Eome, in 1S17, his reputation had 
preceded him, and he was held in high es- 
teem by all who knew him. "When he lived 
in Citta-di-Pieve, as master of novices, the 
bishop and vicar-general selected him as their 
confessor. When he went to Genazzano, to 
embrace the perfect community life, all re- 
membered him with delight. At Genazzano 
his reputation for sanctity increased amongst 



HIS LAST ILLNESS. 157 

the clergy and people ; it extended to Rome, 
where he was held in the highest veneration, 
both by prelates and cardinals, especially by 
Cardinal Pedicini, bishop of Palestrina, and 
by Cardinal Polidori, the commendatory ab- 
bot of Snbiaco. Not one voice was ever rais- 
ed against the persuasion which all had of his 
sanctity. 

It remains, now, to give an account of his 
death, and of the signs which followed it. A 
violent typhus fever, as has been already 
stated, raged at Genazzano ; and the venera- 
ble servant of God seemed to surpass him- 
self, by the zeal he displayed on this occasion. 
A wound, which he received in his leg, and 
which he considered as of no consequence, 
soon became worse. He continued hearing 
confessions and visiting the sick, as if noth- 
ing were the matter with him. He was at- 
tacked with the fever ; and this, together with 
his lameness, soon brought him to the close 
of his mortal career. He had foretold the 
day and the hour of his death ; and had pre- 
pared himself by a general confession of his 
faults, but still he desired to have the benefit 
of it once more. The last sacraments were 
tli en administered to him. Before he re- 
ceived the viaticum he thanked God for all 
14 



158 SAINTLY CHARACTERS. 

the gifts and graces he had been partaker 
of in the course of his life, for his vocation 
to a state of religion, and especially for be- 
ing permitted to lead a perfect communi- 
ty life, and also for being allowed to die 
near the pious sanctuary, where Our Lady 
of Good Council was pleased to grant her fa- 
vors. He hoped that under her protection 
he would be admitted to glory. He then re- 
ceived extreme unction, with the greatest de- 
votion, following the form of the adminis- 
tration of the sacrament in Italian, after the 
priest. This he repeated so as to make 
those who were standing around him shed 
tears. After the reception of the sacraments 
he awaited the coming of his Lord. After 
the example of St. Augustine, he recited the 
seven penitential psalms every day, bearing 
his sufferings with patience. He spoke of 
his approaching deliverance with delight and 
joy. To a person who visited him, he said, 
smiling, " You remember what I said to you 
two years ago, when I prayed to the Blessed 
Virgin that I should not die of this suffering, 
because I could no longer go to her with 
tranquillity in my prayers. The grace was 
obtained, for I am about to die of another dis- 
ease. I have asked her for another favor, that 



HIS DEATH. 159 

I might depart on the approaching festival 
of the purification." He passed his last night 
in prayer, and in meditating on the passion 
of our Lord. He held in his hand a blessed 
candle. In the morning he asked the priest 
who was going to say the first mass to com- 
mend his soul to the prayers of the congre- 
gation. At the hour of high mass he joined, 
in spirit, at the offering of the holy sacrifice. 
At noon he recited the rosary with his breth- 
ren. He was anxious to begin the psalms for 
vespers, but his sufferings interrupted him. 
Holding in his hands the crucifix, with his 
eyes fixed on a statue of the Blessed Virgin, 
he yielded up his soul when the feast of the 
purification was drawing to a close. Thus, 
after eight days' illness, died this servant of 
God. He was indeed a man of eminent 
piety, the restorer of the perfect community- 
life, the father of the poor, the consoler of the 
afflicted, and was filled with charity. 

A heavenly peace reigned on his counte- 
nance. When the doors of the church were 
open, crowds rushed in to attend the funeral. 
Some embraced his hands or his habit ; oth- 
ers bewailed their benefactor ; all shed tears 
for the loss of the saint. Every precaution 
had been taken to prevent any public vener- 



160 SAINTLY CHARACTERS. 

ation being paid to him. Nevertheless, a 
great part of his vestments were cut off and 
distributed by the crowd amongst themselves. 
None were satisfied unless they had some part. 
The people assembled again when Cardinal 
Pedicini proceeded to translate his body to a 
more secure place. The visits of the faith- 
ful are continued to his sepulchre, even at 
the present time. All these are evidences of 
the high opinion which was entertained of his 
sanctity. Nor have signs and prodigies been 
wanting. Besides his body remaining flexi- 
ble, miraculous cures have been wrought 
through the intercession of the saint. Well 
has St. Gregory observed, " that as the move- 
ment of the body shows that life yet exists, 
so miracles attest the life of the soul when it 
has left the body." 

Twelve years after the death of the good 
man the cause was brought before the con- 
gregation of rites. Since the signing of the 
commission for its introduction, the several 
decrees, which have been passed, show the 
favor with which it has been received. 



REGULATIONS OF THE SCHOOLS. 161 

CHAPTER VII. 

Regulations of the Schools, 

The article relating to religious instruction 
is the only one that will be recorded, as it is 
calculated to afford useful information. The 
following was found among the manuscripts 
left by the pious Father Bellesini : "The 
master should endeavor to reach the hearts of 
the children, and to persuade them to love 
what will make them good and happy. The 
following seems the best method to instruct 
young persons in religion : The master should 
first begin by small things before attempting 
great. He should endeavor to implant an 
idea of the moral sentiments by making them 
understand the great delight there is in doing 
well, and the shame and sorrow there is in 
acting badly. He will teach them how they 
should love their relations and every one who 
has done them any good ; how they should 
obey them, and pay them all the respect due 
to them ; and how, above all things, they 
should love and serve their Supreme Bene- 
factor, who sends His blessings on all. After 
this lie will try to make them regard only those 
I 1* 



162 SAnnxY characters. 

things which will give them everlasting hap- 
piness, and those laws which speak to their 
heart, and merit on onr part a perfect obe- 
dience. The instructor will tell them to have 
a profound respect for God, even when they 
mention His name ; a deep sorrow for their 
sins, and a dutiful submission to His will. 
These results he will endeavor to produce, not 
by long reasoning, but by short sentences, 
w T hich bear on the point. Some quotations 
from Scripture, or some fact from history, 
will be a good means of inculcating the same 
truth. 

The master must be very careful respecting 
what he praises or what he finds fault with in 
the presence of the children. He will not 
weary them with long prayers. When he 
sees that the conscience begins to develop 
itself, and that they have the full use of rea- 
son, he will seek to confirm the idea which 
they have of God by bidding them consider 
the things which are around them in the 
world. From the benefits which they receive 
from their relations, he will raise their minds 
to God, who is the Author of all good. He 
will be able to give them an idea of the attri- 
butes of God, by considering the order, the 
harmony, and the beauty of creation. To this 



REGULATIONS OF THE SCHOOLS. 163 

he will join a knowledge of the immortality 
of the soul, of futurity, and eternal rewards 
and punishments. These he will propose to 
them as infallible truths, which they are 
bound to believe. 

The master can have some book, which 
will give him instructions in these matters, 
and enable him to teach the maxims of reli- 
gion with order and with precision. His les- 
sons should be always preceded by prayer ; 
and he should be severe on those whom he does 
not see attentive, for children attach great im- 
portance to this. He will also select a short 
passage from the catechism, which he should 
explain in a manner adapted to children, and 
after this he should propose questions, which 
must be short and clear, in a serious and 
decorous manner. He must address himself 
sometimes to one, and at another time to the 
entire class, and endeavor to find what im- 
pressions his explanations have made. He 
should be careful in proposing simple ques- 
tions, so that the answer may be either yes or 
no. With those who are more advanced, he 
will adopt a different method ; if they do not 
understand what he has explained, he will 
make it clear by comparisons and by exam- 
plea familiar to the children. He will be 



164 SAINTLY CHARACTERS. 

careful in not allowing them to learn any- 
thing which does not influence their heart, 
and all his questions must be in proportion to 
their understanding and to their religious and 
moral training. Let the teacher ask them a 
single point of the catechism each time. He 
can multiply the questions until he finds they 
understand it perfectly. Let him put warmth 
in his instructions, and always show himself 
agreeable and kind. Let him not correct 
their mistakes by the rod, as this will excite 
in them a dislike for religion. 

The children should commit nothing to 
memory which has not been carefully ex- 
plained ; and after the instruction, he should 
apply it to the children, and omit all scholas- 
tic questions and distinctions. Every thing 
he says to them should be calculated to make 
them more virtuous and better suited for their 
calling. In pointing out to them their duties 
towards God, their neighbor, and themselves, 
he should tell them that they are bound to prac- 
tise these, not merely under pain of eternal 
punishment, but they should follow them as a 
light and easy yoke, and dislike all that savors 
of evil or injustice. He should endeavor to 
plant in their hearts the maxims that virtue 
consists in the love of what is good, and in a 



REGULATIONS OF THE SCHOOLS. 165 

constant aversion to whatever is bad. The 
instructor should also warn them from mixing 
with those who lead bad. lives or believe in 
erroneous doctrine. He should plant in their 
minds a piety true and sound, and a charity 
active and lively toward their neighbor. He 
should teach them prayers for the night and 
morning, and for before and after their meals. 
He should be careful to make them under- 
stand the obligations all are under with re- 
spect to prayer, and what it consists in. If 
he perceives they are distracted and do not 
attend, he should recapitulate in a few words 
all he has said, and then pass to another sub- 
ject. He should make use of every opportu- 
nity to inspire them with pious sentiments. 
Religion, in short, should be the centre around 
which all his instruction turns. 



THE VENERABLE FRANCIS XAVIER 
BIANCHI. 

The Venerable Francis Xavier Bianchi was 
a priest of the Congregation of the Regular 
Clerks, called Barnabites. He died in Na- 
ples, January 31, 1815. An inquiry was 
held by the Ordinary into his reputation for 
miracles and for sanctity, in 1817, and was 
not finished until 1820. It was then trans- 
mitted to the Congregation of Rites, who 
opened the process. In the following No- 
vember, Cardinal Somaglia was appointed 
to take charge of the cause. The Congrega- 
tion of Rites having given a favorable vote, 
Pius VII. signed the necessary papers for its 
introduction, and in April, 1822, a dispensa- 
tion was granted to proceed without a revision 
of the writings and without the vote of the 
consultors. An inquiry into the noncultus 
was made by virtue of letters sent from the 
Congregation of Rites, in June, 1822. On 



PROCESS. 167 

the 27tli of March, 1824, a decree was passed, 
saying that no public veneration had been 
offered, in conformity with the decrees of 
Urban YIII. 

The next step to be taken was to institute 
an inquiry respecting his reputation in gen- 
eral. This process was not finished until 
1826. After the congregation had examined 
the validity of this and decided in its favor, 
Leo XII. confirmed it in the usual manner. 

Another process was commenced respecting 
the virtues and miracles, in 1822, but the 
judges who were appointed for this purpose 
having neglected to finish the inquiry within 
the proper time, it was opened again in Rome 
on July 19, 1833, and approved of by the 
Congregation, September 6th, 1834. 

On the 12th of the same month, Gregory 
XYI. dispensed from the observing the fifty 
years which are required to elapse from the 
death of the saint before the virtues are treat- 
ed of. The anti-preparatory congregation 
was held May 31, 1841, at which Cardinal 
Pedichini was present. He had been intrust- 
ed witli the cause after the death of Cardinal 
Somaglia. 

The preparatory congregation was fixed 
for November 21, 1848 ; but the revolu- 



108 SAINTLY CHARACTERS. 

tion prevented its meeting, and the votes of 
the cardinals were taken privately, in Jan- 
uary, 1849. 

The writings of Father Bianchi had not yet 
been revised. The postulator in the cause 
obtained permission to have them sought for 
in Rome by the Promoter of the Faith. Let- 
ters were also sent to the dioceses of Sora 
and Naples, for the same purport. The car- 
dinal-vicar was authorized to issue a decree 
to have a search made in Rome, for any writ- 
ings of the servant of God that might be 
supposed to be there. All the manuscripts 
were collected together, but the death of the 
cardinal prevented the matter being proceed- 
ed with, and a new reporter in the cause was 
named, in the person of Cardinal Lambrus- 
chini. On September 7, 1850, the sacred Con- 
gregation of Rites approved of the writings 
of the holy man. 

At the death of the cardinal, the cause was 
given in charge to Cardinal de la Genga, after 
a general congregation held in the presence 
of the Pope. A solemn decision of the Holy 
Father was required, to pronounce infallibly 
on the theological and moral virtues of Father 
Bianchi, and that they existed in an heroic 
degree. This the present Pope has been 
pleased to do. 



HIS EARLY LITE. 169 



CHAPTER I. 

The first Thirty Years of the Life of Father Bi- 
anchi. 

Francis Xayier Mart Bi anchi was born 
at Arpino, in the kingdom of Naples. His 
life may be divided into two parts. The first 
thirty years present him to our notice as ful- 
filling with piety the obligations of the re- 
ligious state. In 1787, he adopted a more 
perfect life. He mentions this circumstance 
in a letter : " God vouchsafed, on the festi- 
val of the Trinity, in this year, to send me a 
notice showing me that our Lord gave me a 
place in his kingdom." 

At the beginning of the following year 
he heard this voice more clearly. He writes 
thus respecting it : " Friday, January 11th, 
1788. I remember that during the past week 
our Lord made me feel his presence in pray- 
er. On this day, his divine grace caused me 
to have that lifting up of my heart, which ] 
had experienced so often before. On Feb- 
ruary 14, 1788, our Lord made me under- 
stand, whilst I was engaged in prayer, that 
I should prepare for all kinds of suffering. 
He keeps me still in retreat, for I must 
imitate the forty days which lie spent in the 
15 



170 SAINTLY CHARACTERS. 

wilderness, in order to prepare himself for 
his passion. I must renounce every tiling 
which is not Jesus, and embrace every thing 
for the sake of his dolorous sufferings." — 
From this period he separated himself alto- 
gether from society, and persevered in this 
way of perfection until his death. 

The second period of his life consists of 
two portions : — whilst he was preparing him- 
self for the apostolate by a retreat, by endu- 
ring suffering, and by works of charity — 
and the last fourteen years of his life, during 
which he resided at Naples. 

When he was nine years old, he commenc- 
ed his literary studies. These he pursued, 
first at the house of the Barnabites, in his 
own place, and afterwards at the seminary in 
Nola. He received tonsure when he was 
thirteen years old, and minor orders at the 
age of fifteen. Having finished his philoso- 
phy and sustained a public thesis with dis- 
tinction, he proceeded to study canon and 
civil law, at Naples. In 1762, he returned 
home, to join the congregation of the Barna- 
bites. He departed for Rome, and took the 
habit in the novitiate at Zagarola, on De- 
cember 27, 1762 ; and made his religious 
profession on December 28, in the follow- 



HIS STUDIES. 171 

ing year. After two years' study of philos- 
ophy in the college of Macerata, he com- 
menced theology at Rome. He returned to 
Naples in consequence of his health, and in 
1767 he received holy orders. During one 
year he professed rhetoric, and for a long 
time he taught philosophy. On the 21st of 
June, 1772, he defended a thesis in the whole 
course of philosophy : and preached regular- 
ly during the Lent and Advent, for several 
years. The first thirty years of his life were 
spent in this way. 

His vocation to the ecclesiastical state 
showed itself very early. His obedience to 
his parents, his gravity, his modesty, his mor- 
tification, his piety, his love for solitude, his 
desire for a religious life, and those virtues 
which the Church looks upon as marks of 
sanctity, were to be seen in the servant of 
God. Being disposed to practise acts of mor- 
tification, he took the discipline constantly, 
and used to hide himself in a cave for this 
purpose. When his mother gave him any 
money, he either purchased with it objects 
of devotion, or some cord to discipline him- 
self with. When he lived at Naples to 
prosecute his studies in law, he never left his 
room but to attend his class. His conduct 



172 SAINTLY CHAEACTEKS. 

during his childhood, and the entire course 
of his studies, was so marked with piety and 
with religion, that on his return home he 
made known to his parents his wish to be- 
come a religious. They immediately allowed 
him to join the Barnabites. 

In the convent he lived as became a holy 
member of a religious body. He gave him- 
self up to learned pursuits, for obedience im- 
posed this duty on him. He loved the com- 
pany of literary persons, and discussed gen- 
erally with them matters connected with sa- 
cred literature. It appears from a letter of 
the general appointing him master of novices, 
that his love for a life of retirement had man- 
ifested itself even then. " Tell him," writes 
the General of the order, " that the anchorites 
left their grottoes, and the stylites their pillars, 
when the wants of the Church demanded it. 
It will therefore be more praiseworthy in him 
who is not a stylite to leave his solitude for 
some time. 

At this period the congregation of the Bar- 
nabites did not possess a perfect community 
life, and Father Bianchi spent any money 
that he had in purchasing books. When he 
was superior of the convent at Portanova, he 
established it in its full vigor. 



HIS COLLEGE LIFE. 173 

Though the process does not state many 
particulars connected with this period of his 
history, it however shows how he was, even 
then, acceptable to God. In the month of 
September, a young member of the commu- 
nity who had been sent out of the house for 
change of air, died. At the time of his death 
Father Bianchi was in his room, in the col- 
lege of St. Charles, reciting his office with one 
of the novices. He stopped, and said to his 
companion, "Let us go down on our knees, 
and say the De Profundis, for at this mo- 
ment our friend Francesco Castelli is dying, 
assisted by Father Narducci." When the Fa- 
ther returned, a few days after this, he was 
asked the hour when the novice died, and it 
was the exact time when it had pleased God 
t<» make it known to Father Bianchi. 



CHAPTER II. 

Hie Twelve Years during which Father Bianchi was 
Superior of the College of Porta?iova, from 1773 
to 1785. 

In 1773, Father Bianchi became superior 
of the college of Portanova, near Naples. In 
177'!, he was confirmed in this office, and Ln 

15* 



174 SAINTLY CHARACTERS. 

1778 was made extraordinary professor of 
theology by the University of Naples. Dur- 
ing the same year, lie assisted at a chapter of 
his order held at Milan, and proceeded to 
visit the different colleges in the capacity of 
pro-chancellor. 

" When I entered the order of Barnabites," 
writes one of the students, " Father Bianchi 
was superior of the college of Portanova. 
He was very vigilant in the observance of all 
the constitutions, and took care that others 
should be equally obedient to them. Xo one 
undertook any thing without asking his ad- 
vice.'' AVhen the General visited the college 
in 1786, he said he should render thanks to 
God, for finding all walking in accordance 
with the rules. 

A secular priest states " that he commenc- 
ed going to the college when he was ap- 
pointed the rector, and he showed an admi- 
rable prudence in managing both the inter- 
nal and external affairs of the community. 
He preserved perfect order, corrected all the 
abuses, and so regulated matters as to make 
all happy, and induce them to live in peace 
and concord.' 1 In all the difficulties which 
arose in consequence of the bad times, he 
showed an unchangeable sweetness of tem- 



BLESSED MARY FKANCIS. 175 

per, a hope which failed not in the greatest 
difficulties, and a nobleness of mind which 
never succumbed under the greatest reverses. 
It was about this time that he became ac- 
quainted with the Blessed Mary Francis, who 
was beatified by Leo XII, Amongst other 
supernatural gifts with which God endowed 
her during her illness, she received commun- 
ion, by the ministration of angels, from the 
mass that a priest was celebrating in another 
place. Father Bianchi, when saying mass, 
was surprised to find that some of the wine 
in the chalice, and the part of the host which 
lie had broken in it, had disappeared. When 
he mentioned this circumstance to the Blessed 
Mary Francis, she acknowledged that the 
angels had brought it to her. On one occa- 
sion, when confined to her bed, she complained 
to Father Bianchi of not being able to receive 
communion. The next day he told her to 
have great faith, for our Lord would give her 
communion. On the morrow, when he was 
saying mass, he reserved a particle for Sister 
Mary Francis ; but our Saviour wished to 
perform the prodigy otherwise, for leaving 
the particle which Father Bianchi had pre- 
pared, the communion was taken from the 
mass of another priest, and when Father Bi- 



176 SAINTLY CHARACTERS. 

anchi asked if she had received holy commun- 
ion that day, she said she had, but not from 
his mass. He reproached himself for desiring 
to enter into the secret of the divine purposes. 
Mention has been made of the visit which 
he paid in 1779 to several of the colleges, in 
company with the General. Whilst travelling 
they experienced a miraculous deliverance 
from an almost certain death. The night was 
very dark ; a tempest came on, and the carriage 
was upset in a deep trench ; they were taken 
from it by a man who catne out of the wood 
with a torch in his hand, and who did not leave 
them until they were in a safe place. In the 
judicial inquiry the event is narrated as provi- 
dential and miraculous, and the person who 
delivered them from the danger they were in, 
is said to be the angel Gabriel, or some soul 
in purgatory under a human form. 



CHAPTEPw in. 

The Retreat tchich Father Bionchi kept from 1786 to 
1801. 

During the sixteenth century. Divine provi- 
dence had regenerated Rome by the apostle- 
ship of St. Philip Neri. A similar office was 



HIS RETREAT. 177 

destined for Father Bianchi in Naples, after 
the revolution, which disturbed both the re- 
ligious and civil state of things. In order to 
serve as an instrument of grace, it was neces- 
sary that Father Bianchi should be filled with 
charity and with zeal, which he could impart 
to others. It was also requisite that his heart 
should be freed from all earthly attachments, 
however honest and praiseworthy, in order 
that it might be laden with heavenly gifts. 
He must give up his excessive fondness for 
the sciences, even the sacred ones ; his love 
for books, for learned society, and all those 
relations to which his natural disposition, re- 
markable for its urbanity, directed him. It 
was needful that he should also lead a more 
retired life, where, in meditating on divine 
things, he could more freely listen to the 
voice of God, and merit the graces which he 
required to fulfil the mission for which God 
intended him. 

Besides the inspirations which have been 
already mentioned, the Blessed Mary Francis 
counselled him to embrace this kind of life. 
"^\ie told me, he writes, to seek from God pa- 
tience and perseverance in suffering ; to put 
my trust always, and in every case, in God' 
alone; that I must detach myself from books, 



178 SAINTLY CHARACTERS. 

and must not buy another, nor speak of them ; 
that if I were offered a bishopric or any other 
preferment, I should decline it, for it was not 
the will of God respecting me, and that I should 
state my infirmities and my sufferings, which 
would hinder me from discharging the duties 
of the ministry." This shows the nature of 
the retreat that God required from His ser- 
vant. The works of charity which he was to 
perform were part of the training for his fu- 
ture apostleship. 

He lived quite a retired life, and confined 
himself to hearing confessions and giving ad- 
vice to those who came to see him. He 
spent his time like a hermit. In the morning, 
after mass and making his thanksgiving, lie 
went to his room, and spent three hours 
without seeing any one. He observed all the 
rules of his order most exactly. He forsook 
the society of learned men, and paid only a 
few visits. He gave himself up to works of 
charity, and preached on the Sundays, and 
visited the sick. He was the spiritual direc- 
tor of the Blessed Mary Francis until her 
death, which took place in 1791. He gener- 
ally saw her every day. A young man, dur- 
ing the revolutionary period in 1791, had in- 
scribed his name in the National Guard, in 



MIRACLES. 179 

accordance with the wishes of his uncle, who 
threatened to disinherit him if he did not do 
so. He called on Father Bianchi, who re- 
fused to receive him until he would go and 
have his name erased from the list. This, the 
person said could not be done. The holy 
man said what was impossible with men 
was possible with God, and eight days after 
he had this conversation with the saint his 
name was struck out of the list, on his men- 
tioning some circumstances to the captain of 
the guard. 

A mother, whose son was given up by the 
physicians, hoped to obtain his recovery 
through the prayers of Father Bianchi. He 
acceded to her request, and when he had 
prayed for him, he laid his hands on him. On 
leaving the place he said, " The mother will 
obtain her desire, but she will have to en- 
dure something which will cause her much 
grief." In a few days the poor boy was mi- 
raculously cured, but during the same month 
her daughter was taken ill, and died after a 
short sickness. 

A lady of rank was much grieved at the 
conduct of her son, who led a very irregular 
life. She came to visit the Blessed Mary 
Francis. When Father Bianchi entered she 



180 SAINTLY CHARACTERS. 

threw herself on her knees, and asked him to 
obtain for her the grace of having her son 
converted and made a saint. She remained 
in this position for some time, weeping bit- 
terly. Father Bianchi told her to get up, for 
our Lord had granted her request. He be- 
came a pious and good young man shortly 
after. In this period of his active life he de- 
voted much time to the direction of religious, 
to the care of houses of refuge, and other 
good works of a similar description. 

In matters of contemplation God seems to 
have given him those liftings up of the heart, 
which were the presentiments of a more per- 
fect life. The love of God was to be seen in 
him in an especial manner. When the name 
of God or of our Lord was mentioned, he was 
affected much by it. Extraordinary move- 
ments of his body, which sprung from the 
flame of divine love, might be witnessed, in 
the church especially, when the blessed sacra- 
ment was exposed. He endeavored to con- 
ceal these, but was not able to do so. 

In his solitude he practised patience. He 
bore his sufferings with firmness, and also 
inflicted on himself voluntary acts of mortifi- 
cation. Sister Mary Francis told him that 
what he endured from his leg would make 



HIS APOSTOLATE. 181 

hiin merit the same crown that she was to 
wear. 

^Notwithstanding this complaint he denied 
himself all kinds of ease, and spent his time 
in a small cell, occupied with his ministerial 
duties. He gave but a few moments to sleep, 
and devoted the remainder of the night to 
]) raver. He used, besides two disciplines of 
the ordinary description, two made of iron. 
His shirt was covered with the blood, which 
flowed from the wounds he inflicted on him- 
self. 



CHAPTER IV. 

The Fourteen Years he spent as an Apostle. 

Tin: Blessed Mary Francis was accustomed 
to say, " We have had a Philip JSTeri ; we 
shall have a Philip Bianchi." The spirit of 
an apostle requires all charity, which pre- 
cedes, as it were, every work and every trial, 
and makes us despise every thing which may 
be pleasing to us, both for the love of Christ 
and the good of our neighbor. These were 
the marks of the apostleship which were visi- 
ble in Sr. Paul. These also may be seen in 
Father Bianchi. 

L6 



182 SAINTLY CHAKACTEKS. 

When lie was paying a visit to the blessed 
sacrament, on one occasion, he received in 
his heart a wound of divine love, like St. Te- 
resa, and he fell down fainting, and uttering 
a loud shriek. Those, who have assisted at 
his mass during the time he suffered much, 
have seen him so moved, that with difficulty 
he could keep from weeping. When the 
blessed sacrament was exposed, he was seen 
to put his hand to his heart to restrain its mo- 
tions, so great was its elevation to God. 
When he gave absolution, or looked at a cru- 
cifix, he was so affected that he suffered from 
its violent palpitations. This was also wit- 
nessed when any person commenced to sing 
a pious hymn in his presence. 

The love of God, which so wondrously 
filled his heart, produced the most marvellous 
effects with respect to those around him. He 
spared neither his time nor his labor, if he 
could rescue his friends from trouble or keep 
them from committing sin, and reform their 
lives. He employed the pension he received 
from the government in works of charity, 
especially in relieving the poor orphans. Sev- 
eral intrusted him with their alms, knowing 
he would turn them to good account. Mis- 
sions, and the chapels opened in the evening 



HIS MORTIFICATION. 183 

for the instruction of the faithful, found in 
him a firm friend. He prayed constantly for 
the conversion of sinners, and stirred up the 
clergy to engage themselves in this good 
work. He was indefatigable in hearing con- 
fessions, though he could not leave his cell 
without some means of support. He guided 
souls more by love and gentleness, than by 
fear and severity. He prescribed the mor- 
tification of one's own will, saying it was the 
first step to perfection. All, who placed 
themselves under his direction, were delighted 
at the spiritual benefit they derived from him. 
J lis visits to the sick were attended with the 
most beneficial effects. His presence seemed 
to give them encouragement, and sometimes 
healed their bodies as well as relieved their 
minds. When he was not able to walk out to 
see them, he went in a carriage, and when 
confined altogether to his room, he sent his 
friends to perform this pious work. The most 
illustrious men came to consult him. He was 
the spiritual director of the Blessed Mary 
Francis, the Venerable Mary Clotilda of Sar- 
dinia, of cardinals, bishops, princes, and the 
most holy amongst the clergy. Cardinal Ca- 
racciolo, Cardinal Scilla, princes, and others, 
came constantly to see him for the good of 



184 



SAINTLY CHARACTERS. 



their souls. His door was always open, and 
persons of every description filled the pas- 
sages around, being desirous to visit him 
about their spiritual state. The number was 
so great that it was feared he would give 
offence to the government, and even reports 
were spread of his being arrested. His pru- 
dence appeared to be the result, not merely 
of experience and study, but had something 
supernatural about it. This induced many to 
make long journeys for the purpose of con- 
sulting him. They had often to wait many 
hours before they could see him, so great was 
the crowd, that sought his advice and his as- 
sistance. All these works of charity went on 
during the ten years that he suffered from his 
maladies. When he was not able to go to 
the church and say mass, he usually offered up 
the holy sacrilice in a chapel that was near his 
cell. His sufferings appear to have been 
very great. During the two last years of his 
life he was able scarcely to take any nourish- 
ment. 

He suffered much mentally, from the times 
in which he lived, and was greatly afflicted 
at the persecutions, which assailed both the 
Church and the sovereign pontiff. In 1804 
he lost his mother, to whom he was much at- 



HIS MINISTRATIONS. 185 

tached. In 1809 the congregation of which 
he was a member was suppressed. Such, 
however, was his love for his order, that he 
did not wish to give up either his cell or the 
rules. Amidst all his trials, joy and calmness 
were depicted on his countenance, and he 
thanked God for being permitted to suffer. 
He often repeated the words of St. Augus- 
tine : " Burn me, wound me, do not spare 
me." Following the example of St. Camil- 
lus, he called his wounds " the mercies of 
God." 

" One day," states one of the witnesses, 
" as if directed by an inward monitor, I saw 
him at a different hour from that on which 
I usually went. I found him surrounded 
by a crowd of persons. He lay in such a 
state that all supposed he was near his 
death. I desired every one to leave, for he 
would sooner die than tell any person to go 
away." 



CHAPTER Y. 
Results of Father BiancMs Ministrations. 

Tin; ministry exercised by the servant of 
God, during the last fifteen years of his life, 
16* 



186 SAINTLY CHARACTERS. 

is well known to have produced a most extra- 
ordinary effect. Even those who merely con- 
versed with him found their hearts softened, 
and desired to become better. All said lie 
was another Philip Neri, and that it was 
enough to hear him speak of God, to be re- 
solved to love him. These intercourses were 
sufficient to put his hearers in raptures, and 
make them forget the world. " Whenever," 
writes one of the witnesses, " he gave me ab- 
solution, I experienced such an influence 
from merely speaking with him that I could 
not prevent myself from passing the entire 
day before the blessed sacrament." 

His conversation, his look, and the very 
touch of his hand seemed to change men. 
" His mode of speaking was so penetrating," 
one of the witnesses states, " that I feel the 
benefit of it even to this day. It was suffi- 
cient to see him in his room to make me be- 
come a different person to what I was before. 
He put his hand on mj head, and I experi- 
enced within me an emotion, like a flame of 
fire, which extended from my head through 
all my body ; his look inspired me with the 
greatest purity, and banished all evil thoughts 
from my mind." He was very successful in 
calming the troubles of those who suffered from 



THE GIFT OF PKOPHECY. 187 

spiritual or temporal trials. He had the gift 
of doing this by laying his hand on their 
heads, or by making the sign of the cross on 
their foreheads. "I went one day," acids 
another witness, " to see Father Bianchi. I 
told him my trials and my troubles. He 
spoke to me, amongst other matters, respect- 
ing the blessed sacrament and devotion to it. 
In a moment I found the hand of God on me ; 
all my sadness was removed, and I had a joy 
such as I never experienced before. When 
he placed his hand on my shoulder, I felt that 
palpitation of my heart, which he was said to 
suffer from, when he was filled with the flame 
of holy love. I was obliged to have recourse 
to prayer to put an end to it." 

Mention has already been made of several 
prodigies, and miraculous signs with which he 
was affected. In order to afford consolation 
to the faithful at this period of revolutions 
and public calamities, it pleased God to make 
known to Father Bianchi the events, which 
afterwards took place in Spain and in Kussia, 
and he foretold the return of Pius VII. In 
directing souls he knew their secret thoughts, 
which they had not made known to any per- 
Bon. Be predicted the death of several per* 
He appeared in the air, surrounded 



188 SAINTLY CHARACTERS. 

with light, to a soul, in order to give it con- 
solation. On three different occasions he 
stopped the flames of Vesuvius, twice by giv- 
ing his benediction, and at another time by 
the aid of a statue. He went through the 
raiu, accompanied by another person, without 
it touching them. He multiplied the money 
of one man, and with his own frugal repast 
he was in the habit of supporting five per- 
sons. He also cured many miraculously. 
He touched one, who was at the point of 
death, and healed him. He did the same for 
another by praying for him. Many, who 
were ill, were freed from their diseases through 
his intercession. 



CHAPTER VI. 

Circumstances worth recording. 

A witness who is yet living, and who is 
one of the most zealous priests in Naples, 
stated in his testimony several circumstances, 
which deserve to be related. The first time 
this priest saw Father Bianchi, he was twenty- 
four years old, and was then a layman. His 
appearance produced a strong impression on 
him, and he seemed like another St. John the 



A PRIEST IN NAPLES. 189 

Baptist. " He was surrounded with light, 
which affected my eyes. When he placed his 
hand on my head, I felt an internal commo- 
tion, like a holy flame, going through my 
whole body. I conceived at that time a 
great idea of his sanctity, and wished much 
to visit him often. Fifteen days afterwards 
I went to see him. He was very glad that I 
had called on him a second time, and he told 
me I should rejoice, for our Lord was going 
to do great things for me. I visited him at 
another time, when I had committed a secret 
sin, and he desired me to go to confession as 
soon as I could. He mentioned what I had 
done wrong. On another occasion, when I 
was absent from Naples about ten months, in 
order to avoid the conscription, he stated all 
the sins I had committed, whilst I was away 
from the city. He often anticipated me, when 
I went to see him, by mentioning to me the 
purpose for which I called. He also told me 
of my vocation, and the nature of the duties 
which would afterwards devolve upon me. I 
saw him once in an ecstasy, and he related 
what 1 should be engaged in at the present 
time. 1 went to call on him during the no- 
vciia preceding Pentecost, and related to him 
my spiritual coldness. He went into an 



190 SAINTLY CHARACTERS. 

ecstasy, and declared that I should receive 
two visitations from the Holy Ghost, and had 
better take care not to fall. I, however, did 
not mind what he said ; and whilst going 
down the stairs, I felt myself struck twice on 
the heart, and was thrown each time against 
the wall. I shed tears copiously. lie did 
not give me absolution very easily. He only 
granted it to me three times during the year, 
for he required a great disposition on my part 
to receive it. lie told me one day, that he 
had asked God to give him a sign, when he 
should grant it to me. He did not, however, 
deprive me of frequent communion." These 
circumstances are not, however, to be judged 
by the ordinary rules. Father Bianchi de- 
sired, no doubt, to prepare him by the most 
perfect disposition, to receive an abundance 
of heavenly grace. 

Father Bianchi loved his mother much; 
but like St. Francis Xavier, his patron, who 
went to India without going out of his way to 
visit his relations, he resisted all her entreaties 
to go see her before she died. " Give me 
this consolation," writes his mother ; "I know 
the influence obedience has with you, and I 
am sure I shall prevail with you to come 
and see me." Father Bianchi replied to 



HIS MOTHER. 191 

his mother in the following terms : — " At 
your advanced age you have me always 
near you, if you always seek me in God, for 
we are all in him. We should be persuaded 
of this, that being pilgrims, and travellers 
here, we cannot all lodge in the same inn. 
We must march onwards, that we may pro- 
ceed to our happy, and eternal home. Let us 
endeavor to put all our care to arrive there 
happily, in our Lord. Let our desire be to 
find ourselves united in that blessed country, 
where Ave shall no more be separated from 
each other, throughout all eternity. Let us 
take no account of what is merely transitory. 
Let us only think of, and endeavor, and sigh 
after these- -to see God, to love God, to pos- 
sess God, without fear of ever losing him." 
All this shows the pure love he had for his 
mother. He loved her in God, and for God, 
and desired to inspire her with the same ho- 
liness of affection. He concluded by wishing 
her all spiritual good ; and for temporal bless- 
ings desired her to seek only the will of God. 
He said, once, to a friend, that when his 
mother gave him her blessing, he told her, 
" We BhaU behold each other in paradise." 
He saw her once or twice after he became a 
Barnabite. Charity is more perfect in the 



192 SAINTLY CHARACTERS. 

saints than in other individuals. They should 
therefore love their relations more than oth- 
ers do ; but the purity of their affections ex- 
cludes all mixture with flesh and blood. 
God, who in the natural law desires us to love 
our relations, says in the gospel, " that who- 
soever loves his relations more than he loves 
him, is not worthy of him." " A faithful 
saying," says St. Bernard, " and worthy 
of all acceptation. Although it is impious 
to despise our mother, nevertheless, to 
despise her for the sake of Christ, is most 
pious." 

So great was his attachment for the reli- 
gious state, that when the military govern- 
ment had suppressed the various orders, he 
did not wish to quit the college of Portanova, 
where he dwelt. In this respect he imitated 
Mgr Menochio, another servant of God, the 
sacristan of Pius VII., who accompanied that 
pontiff to Paris, in 1804, and wore the dress 
of an Augustinian. After the departure of 
the pope from Pome, in 1809, he continued 
to occupy his rooms in the Quirinal Palace, 
and to wear his habit. Father Bianchi acted 
in a similar manner. He lived in his cell, 
and followed the rules as if the community 
resided in the house. He was in the choir at 



THE CONGREGATION SUPPRESSED. 193 

the appointed hour, and also went out at the 
usual times to perform his works of charity. 
He observed bis vows most rigidly, when the 
order was finally suppressed. He did not 
ask any thing of any person ; for God allow- 
ed the piety of his friends to supply him with 
all he needed. He had much difficulty to 
overcome the repugnance which he felt in ac- 
cepting their gifts. Cardinal Caracciolo pre- 
sented him with a silver dish ; but he contin- 
ued to use the one which belonged to the 
order. Whenever he wanted a dispensation 
for any thing, he asked the permission of his 
confessor. 

Chevalier Bonocore tells us that when the 
congregation was suppressed he asked him 
to his house, that he might obtain some relief 
for the malady from which he suffered ; and 
also that the great number of persons who 
were looking after him, might be enabled to 
see him without causing any suspicion to the 
government. He would not, however, come 
until he had obtained the permission of the 
former superior. He then used to spend 
some days, and often entire months in the 
country-house, which was situated in a vil- 
lage on the way to Portici. One day, when 
the Chevalier and Father Bianchi were sitting 



19-i SAINTLY CHARACTERS. 

in a balcony which overlooked a country that 
was crowned with a rich harvest, the saint 
commenced to praise God for what he saw. 
The Chevalier told him that he had always 
desired to obtain a portion of land which was 
near his house, but that he could not succeed, 
as it belonged to proprietors who were always 
buying some new place, but would never sell 
any of what they had acquired. Father Bi- 
anchi told him that he should yet possess 
what he pointed out, and also more in addi- 
tion to this. The Chevalier smiled when he 
thought of the condition of his affairs, but 
Father Bianchi put his hands on his shoulders 
and told him to have confidence, for that it 
was not lie who said so ; and added, that he 
would also receive a decoration. This pre- 
diction was verified in every particular. 

A remarkable cure was performed at the 
same time. The Chevalier gives the follow- 
ing account of it : " The wife of one of my 
neighbors was dangerously ill. The physi- 
cians had stated that there were no hopes of 
her recovery. She asked to see Father l>i- 
anchi, and bade him pray to God for her, and 
this, not so much for her own sake as for that 
of her family. The Father told her that God 
had granted her request, and on the next day 



MIRACLES. 195 

she was sitting up, and was able to dine with 
her friends. She lived fifteen years after- 
wards, in good health." 

AtPortici, Father Bianchi stopped an erup- 
tion of "Vesuvius. The lava was running 
over the cultivated land, and caused much 
destruction. He suffered so much in his feet 
that he was at this time scarcely able to walk ; 
however, he seemed now but little affected 
with his complaint, and went more than a 
mile ; he desired all to kneel down before it, 
and to join with him in reciting several 
prayers ; he then gave his benediction ; the 
lava stopped flowing, and the burning stream 
became immovable. He was also the means 
of preserving the pious family in whose house 
he stayed from a great danger. Three barrels 
of powder exploded at a place called Ponte 
delta Croce, near where he was. All the 
houses around were destroyed, and every one 
ascribed the preservation of the Chevalier's 
house to the fact, that Father Bianchi lived 
there. 

When dwelling in this villa he passed the 
greater part of the night without sleep. lie 
said mass early in the morning. Whilst en- 
gaged in doing so he suffered no pains, but 
they returned immediately afterwards. He 



196 SAINTLY CHARACTERS. 

spent an hour making his thanksgiving. 
Then they gave him a little coffee, as it was 
his rule never to ask for any thing. He then 
retired to his room, and either read his office 
or some other book. If any person came to 
see him he received them, and after this com- 
menced his spiritual reading. He dined with 
the family, and during the time entertained 
them with pious conversation. He then went 
to his chamber, and after a short repose re- 
turned to his meditations. He united with the 
family in their evening devotions. He never 
knew what it was to be idle ; he was always 
engaged in prayer, in his exercises, or doing 
good to some souls. The cause of the canon- 
ization of the Venerable Mary Francis be- 
came, in the last years of his life, one of his 
most delightful occupations. He was not 
only the principal witness in the judicial in- 
quiry, but became the collector and the keep- 
er of the alms required for the occasion. 
Cardinal Fontano, the general of the Barna- 
bites, gave him the necessary permission both 
to manage his own peculium, as the other 
members of the religious bodies did after the 
suppression of the orders, and also to do all 
that was necessary in the cause of the .Blessed 
Mary Francis. 



BLESSED MARY FRANCIS. 197 

Sums of money were also intrusted to lrim 
to distribute as he saw fit. These he disposed 
of either for the benefit of his order, or for 
the cause of the saint. 

In 1812, and in 1813, there were hopes of 
the order being again established, and all that 
belonged to him he resolved to devote to its 
welfare, or to the cause of the Blessed Mary 
Francis, should it not be permitted to re- 
sume its former state. At the suggestion 
of some of his friends he made a will, which 
was the only means of preserving the little 
he left behind from being diverted to other 
purposes ; for he died whilst the military 
government was yet in existence. Amongst 
the clauses contained in it, there was the fol- 
lowing : — " I desire that the pictures of the 
Venerable Mary Francis, of our Saviour, and 
of the crucifixion, which are in my room, be 
kept by the aforesaid Chevalier Bonocore, 
until it pleases God to cause the Venerable 
Mary Francis to be beatified, and that then 
they be exposed for public veneration in the 
chapel of the servant of God, should the 
Sovereign Pontiff desire it." 

The conduct of Father Bianchi showed the 
humble opinion he had of himself. He took 
pleasure in being always the last, and con- 



19S SAINTLY CHARACTEKS. 

sidered himself as an unworthy person, and 
desired to do every thing to make himself be 
reputed as nothing. He endeavored to cause 
others to have a low idea of him. His hu- 
mility rendered him mute respecting himself. 
He never spoke of himself, and kept the most 
strict silence about his own good qualities. 
He never said any thing even to those with 
whom he was familiar, which might tend to 
his own glory. It could indeed be said of 
him, that he hid himself from the entire world. 
He threw a similar veil over his acts of 
Virtue. It required great skill to be able to 
discover these. The gifts, which God was 
pleased to bestow on him, he concealed as 
much as he could. He exhorted others to do 
the same, saying, "The oven becomes cold 
when it is open, and grows hot when it is 
closed." To hear him speak of things which 
he regarded, it was necessary to introduce 
topics connected with the love of God, pious 
hymns, or devout pictures. On one occasion, 
the singing of a hymn produced in him those 
emotions which have been already recorded, 
and a person present threw himself on his 
knees, and said, " How is it that you have this 
gift so abundantly, and we have so little of it ? 
show us how to acquire some of this holy 



HIS ECSTASIES. 199 

love." "I have," replied Father Bianchi, 
"prayed our Lord to impress his image on 
my heart as he did on the Yeil of St. Veronica ; 
do yon do the same, and I hope that our Lord 
will hear you." After this he was thrown 
into a fit of agitation, and when he returned 
to himself, he said, " What have you made 
me say ; God forgive you." 

Another person came to him, and was 
affected with great sorrow. He did not wish 
to discover its cause to the servant of God. 
At last he said to him, "1 shall tell you my 
secret, if you will tell me yours." Father 
Bianchi agreed to this. The other then said, 
" Whence comes this palpitation of the heart ? " 
This question seemed to surprise him. " How- 
ever, I kept him to his promise," adds the 
narrator, u when he said to me, 'From what do 
you think it comes ? ' I replied, that I thought 
it came from the fire of charity. Then, like 
St. Philip Neri, who did not doubt the pro- 
priety of making a similar avowal to Cardinal 
Borromeo, he replied, * Yes, you are right, my 
son, this palpitation is the gift of the Holy 
( [host. There was a time when I was obliged 
to leave a Church where the Blessed Sacra- 
ment was exposed, that I might not show this 
gift to others. It was a constant miracle that 



200 SAINTLY CHARACTERS. 

I was able to live. Our Lord lias deigned to 
visit me, with the sorrow of his wounds, to 
calm with an opposite force the flame of my 
heart' " The recital of this caused a deep 
emotion in Father Bianchi, but it filled him 
with a joy which lasted for a very long time. 
The desire which he had, notwithstanding 
his sufferings, to celebrate mass each day was 
a great instance of his charity. When his 
sufferings confined him to his room, he de- 
sired his friends to pray to the Blessed Virgin 
and to God, to make him able to say mass. 
He was placed on a chair and vested. Then 
he was supported to the altar ; there standing 
on one foot, he commenced the Holy Sacrifice, 
and finished it as if nothing were the matter 
with him, performing all the ceremonies with 
the greatest exactness. The fervor with 
which he celebrated, and the devotion which 
he inspired in others, excited the admiration 
of all. When he had finished, he fell into the 
same languor and weakness, and was obliged 
to be helped back to the chair, and to have the 
sacred vestments taken off. Such was his joy 
in being able to say mass, that he said, " When 
you see I am not able, weep for me as if I 
were dead." The person who served his 
mass was accustomed to put his hand under 



HIS SUFFERINGS. 201 

the foot, which he was not able to lay on the 
ground, fearing that he might fall from the 
great pain which he endured. 

During the two last months of his life, 
when his sufferings were great, he obtained 
the privilege of a private oratory, and when 
he could not celebrate he communicated. 
He received communion every day as long as 
he was able to fast, and after this he received 
it as the viaticum. 

In concluding the life of the venerable ser- 
vant of God, two circumstances, which have 
been mentioned already, deserve to be more 
fully explained. The first is the miracle of 
the communion brought to Blessed Mary 
Francis by the angels. The following is the 
statement of Father Bianchi respecting this. 
" Her love for the Blessed Sacrament was 
so extraordinary and heroic, that perhaps 
without sufficient reflection I acceded to her 
importunities, to bring her a consecrated host 
in a corporal when I could go to see her. 
She often asked me to do so, when, smiling, I 
used to put her off to another time. At last 
she seemed to understand me, and complained 
that it was not allowed a Christian to com- 
municate several times during the day. So 
heroic and so ardent was her desire for this, 



202 SAINTLY CHAEACTEKS. 

that God often consoled her by the ministry 
of angels. During rny masses and when I was 
consuming the elements, the Archangel St. 
Raphael, either after the consecration or be- 
fore my communion, used to take the chalice 
off the altar, and give it to the servant of God 
to drink out of it in her own dwelling. Some- 
times she took but very little, only two or 
three drops, but enough to question her about 
it, and assure myself respecting it. On one 
occasion she drank nearly half of it, I per- 
ceived it at once, as a considerable quantity of 
the precious blood had disappeared. I was 
surprised; and when I asked her respect- 
ing it, she said to me, c If the Archangel St. 
Raphael had not told me that the sacrifice 
must be completed, I should have drank it 
all.' At other times she received the small 
piece of the host which was broken into the 
chalice; not finding it when I consumed 
the precious blood, I inquired from the 
servant of God respecting it. She informed 
me that our Lord had given it to her ; but 
what astonished me most was, that the Blessed 
Mary Francis, after these miraculous dispensa- 
tions of providence, came to meet me, when I 
entered the house, quite joyous, and told me, 
when I asked her, what had happened." 



HIS PERFECT LIFE. 203 

It has been stated that Father Bianchi, 
wishing to lead a more perfect life, had de- 
tached himself from all literary exercises and 
from the company of the learned. In order 
to withdraw the servant of God from the 
great delight he took in scientific pursuits, 
our Lord made use of extraordinary means. 
"Being ill," writes one of the witnesses, "I 
was in company with my physician and 
Father Bianchi. Don Pietro Magno, the 
physician, was a philosopher, and quite a lit- 
erary character ; what he stated in the pres- 
ence of Father Bianchi showed, that he 
prided himself for his knowledge of human 
literature. Father Bianchi took occasion to 
tell him how much the love of God, and the 
knowledge of it, exceeded worldly sciences, 
and that in his early days he was at- 
tached to them, and prayed to God to help 
him in his studies, that they might assist him 
in his ministry. ' After one of these pray- 
ers,' said the Saint, 'I was filled with a 
bright light, which seemed to remove a veil 
that hung over my mind, and enabled me to 
know all human knowledge like Solomon, 
even that which I had never before cultivated. 
I remained so for twenty-four hours, and then 
returned into my former state. And I heard 



204: SAINTLY CHARACTERS. 

a voice in my heart sa} T ing, Such are the 
sciences ; what advantage are they ? study me 
— study my love.' " 

The Doctor profited by this conversation, 
and employed himself in seeking the knowl- 
edge of divine things during the remainder 
of his days. 



ANNA MARIA TAIGI. 

As the cause of this holy person has not 
yet been formally presented to the congrega- 
tion of rites, but is only in a state of prepara- 
tion — in order to conform to the necessary 
regulations we shall begin by stating that, in' 
relating her virtues and her extraordinary 
gifts, there is no desire of putting forward 
any thing which will interfere with the deci- 
sion of the Holy See. We profess perfect 
submission to it in every point, and what we 
say about her is based on merely human testi- 
mony. 



CHAPTER I. 

The Early Life of the Servant of God. 

Amongst the many who in those days have 
had an especial devotion to the Immaculate 
Conception, Anna Maria Taigi deserves to 



206 SATNTLY CHARACTERS. 

be numbered. In her was realized the prom- 
ise, that whoever will venerate the Mother 
of God in this mystery, shall receive from 
our Lord especial graces. 

She was born at Sienna in 1769, and in her 
earliest years experienced many trials. Her 
father, who was a physician, lost his property, 
and was compelled to leave his native place. 
Anna Maria went with him to Rome. Al- 
though only six years old, she performed 
the journey on foot. She was soon obliged 
to fix upon some mode of life in order to sup- 
port herself, and to settle in the world. 
The marriage state was that to which she was 
called by our Lord. A servant in poor cir- 
cumstances demanded her in wedlock. To 
this her relations consented, as they could not 
expect to find a suitable provision for her in 
that class of society in which they had former- 
ly lived. She was naturally endowed with a 
lively disposition, which seemed calculated 
to lead her into some imprudent actions. 
But grace soon triumphed in her heart, which 
was formed for virtue to such a degree, that 
it seemed impossible for her to forsake the 
road to sanctity, in which our Lord was 
pleased to lead her. Extraordinary lights, 
sensible joys, and special graces of every kind 



HER GEACES. 207 

were the means, by which our Lord succeeded 
in winning the soul of his servant. To these 
tepidity, temptations, and the trials, which are 
reserved for all, often succeeded, but never- 
theless her virtues increased more and more. 
The time was now come, when she would be 
required to give proof of her faith, her hope, 
and her love. Perseverance, prudence, tem- 
perance, justice, and the mortification of her 
internal and external senses were also to be 
witnessed in her. For she was to practise 
these virtues in a remarkable degree. 

In return for her fidelity and her courage, 
God was pleased to grant her such gifts as the 
Church will one day pass judgment on. She 
had the knowledge of future things, and also 
of the most inward thoughts. Her prayers 
were efficacious especially in the conversion 
of sinners and in healing the sick. A great 
number of persons who had been despaired 
of, attributed their recovery altogether to her. 
A princely family in Borne owed the preser- 
vation of the health of several of their children 
to her supplications. 

AVhen she was on one occasion making a 
visit to the Seven Churches, a very violent 
rain came on, which obliged her to enter a 
house. She found there a sick person dying, 



208 SAINTLY CHARACTERS. 

to whom the last Sacraments had been ad- 
ministered. The members of the family were 
weeping aronnd her. Anna Maria bid them 
pray, and made the sign of the cross over the 
woman, who was ill, with an image of the 
Blessed Virgin. The rain ceased, and the 
servant of God continued her pious pilgrimage. 
She had scarcely left the house, when the sick 
person came to herself, and immediately re- 
covered her voice. The members of the 
household ran out to thank their, benefactress, 
with an enthusiasm which it would be diffi- 
cult to describe. Her house was constantly 
filled with persons, asking her prayers, and 
seeking that favors like these should be be- 
stowed on them. 

She often visited the Church of St. Andrew, 
at the Novitiate of the Jesuits on Monte 
Cavallo. Father Kosini remarked the mod- 
esty, and the recollection of the pious wo- 
man. He asked her to recommend to God 
one of the religious who was then ill. She 
promised to do so, and at the same time added, 
that it was not disease so much afflicted him 
as the troubles of his mind. Father Kosini 
conceived a great esteem for Anna Maria, 
such as her graces were calculated to inspire, 
and they formed between each other a spirit- 



FATHER ROSINI. 209 

ual union, which lasted until her death. This 
was the occasion of many blessings being grant- 
ed to the society to which Father Kosini be- 
longed. The master of novices recommended to 
her devotion a young member, who died shortly 
after. She told him, that from the bed of death 
the pious soul would go to heaven. The Fa- 
ther, delighted at her answer, mentioned the 
virtues of this good young man. At other 
times when prayers were offered for those 
who were in danger of death, Anna Maria 
knew immediately whether they would be 
answered or not When God did not deem 
fit to grant the recovery of the person prayed 
for, abundance of tears flowed from her eyes, 
and she was seized with the greatest grief. 
This was always a sure sign that the last mo- 
ments of the sick man were nigh at hand. 
Sinners, who had resisted the workings of 
divine grace, were surprised to hear this 
humble woman reveal the secrets of their 
heart, and tell them of their wicked life. 
They usually fell at her feet, and asked ot 
God to give them pardon and mercy. The 
following is a remarkable instance of this : — 
A young man, who belonged to a good Chris- 
tian family, lost his father at the period of life 
most dangerous for youth to be deprived of 



210 SAINTLY CHARACTERS. 

such guardianship. He frequented bad com- 
pany, and by reading bad books lost the faith, 
and became a propagator of the most wicked 
principles. He was the scandal of the village 
in which he lived. All the warnings of Prov- 
idence seemed to be of no avail. More than 
once he was saved from a premature death, 
when passing through a river on horseback, 
to gratify his base passions. At another time, 
standing at his window, he was struck with 
lightning, but only one of his limbs was 
wounded. Being in company with some 
friends in a neighboring village, he stayed 
somewhat behind them, and being benighted 
on his road, he lost his way and wandered 
into a forest filled with assassins. They, tak- 
ing him for one of their companions, allowed 
him to pass along without disturbance, and 
proceeding to the road, surprised his com- 
panions, and wounded them in a most bar- 
barous manner. He, however, did not regard 
these interpositions of Divine Providence. A 
person who was united with him in a wicked 
course of life, came to visit him when he was 
ill, and brought a skilful doctor to see him. 
As his friend left the chamber of the sick 
man, he was seized with an attack of apoplexy, 
and died without the consolations of religion. 



A SUDDEN DEATH. 211 

This sudden death produced no salutary im- 
pression on the young man. The body was 
left in the passage, no person would remove 
it, until at length the curate of the parish 
came to perform the charitable work. The 
sick man returned to his room, determined to 
put an end to his own existence, and to that 
of any person who would interfere with him. 
One of the inhabitants of the village risked 
all danger, and rushing into his room, seized 
him by the arms, and prevented him from tak- 
ing away his life. Several pious and holy 
Ecclesiastics visited him, but to no purpose, 
and all began to look upon him as lost, and 
as one abandoned by God. 

A friend of his chanced to come to Rome. 
He there became acquainted with the servant 
of God, Anna Maria, and entreated her to use 
her influence in effecting his conversion. 
Anna Maria did not dissemble the difficulty 
of the task, and told him that this poor young 
man should be brought to Rome, and that 
there was no other chance for his salvation. 
She then began to devote herself continually 
to the good work by fasting, and offering her- 
self to the divine justice as an expiation for 
the misdeeds of the unhappy sinner. She 
went one evening to the Church of S. Maria 



SAINTLY CHARACTERS. 



212 



in via lata to pray before the Blessed Sacra- 
ment, which was exposed there, and she heard 
the voice of her heavenly spouse, saying, 
" Pray again to St. Joseph for him, because 
he is the patron of the young man." 

It was rather a difficult matter to bring him 
to Borne, for lie looked upon the Eternal City 
with horror, and always spoke of it in almost 
blasphemous terms. The Governors of the 
different provinces had also received direc- 
tions not to allow persons of bad character to 
come to Rome. The Governor refused him a 
passport, and there seemed no possibility of 
his being able to leave, when providentially 
a different Governor was appointed, who, 
when he became acquainted with the circum- 
stances of the case, complied with his request, 
and permitted him to set out for the Eternal 
City. 

When he arrived, his friend met him near 
St. Peter's, and resolved to conduct him to the 
home of the servant of God. He seemed happy 
and joyous, and in no way affected by the loss 
of his guilty companion. They went towards 
the house, and when they came near it the 
young man began to feel unhappy, and stopped 
suddenly, as if he were hindered by some se- 
cret influence. When he came there he look- 



HER HOUSE. 213 

ed at it, and uttered the most dreadful im- 
precations against all who lived there. His 
friend saw that this was the work of the demon, 
who knows all are lost to him who come near 
to God. The young man continued his blas- 
phemies, struck the pavement with his stick, 
and declared that he would never enter the 
doors of the house. His friend at length 
prevailed on him to go up the stairs. A dis- 
cussion here took place between them. Anna 
Maria hearing it opened her door, and asked 
them to come in. The young man could not 
now retreat ; so he entered the room, sat down, 
and immediately asked for a glass of water, 
saying, he did not know what was the matter 
with him, he felt so ill. Anna Maria told 
him it was nothing, and he need not be afraid. 
The friend retired into a neighboring room, 
that he might leave them at more perfect 
liberty. Anna Maria looked at the young 
man, and mentioned to him all the errors of 
his past life, and showed him how he had 
been the object of the divine interposition 
several times. She related to him all his 
most secret faults, and said to him in a tone 
of authority, the time was now come when he 
should forsake these, and return to God. 
The conversation lasted about an hour. He 



214: SAINTLY CHARACTERS. 

left her house quite thoughtful, but with his 
mind not disturbed. He seemed astonished 
at her being able to know all the secrets of 
his past life. On the following day he told 
his friend that he had not slept during the 
night ; his mind was so occupied witli think- 
ing on the interview which he had with the 
servant of God, and he seemed much pleased, 
and resolved to go there again. 

It would require a volume to describe the 
means Satan made use of to prevent the con- 
version of this young man. The servant of 
God, however, continued her prayers, her 
fastings, and her penances. She told his 
friend that the grace had been granted, but 
that he must not give up praying for him, in 
order that the divine mercies, in all their ful- 
ness, might be obtained for him. On the next 
day lie returned to the house, and notwith- 
standing the efforts of Satan to bring him back 
to his evil ways, he continued his visits. The 
seed of heavenly grace was already sown in 
his heart, but the bad habits in which he had 
so long indulged, hindered its growth. Satan 
did not relax his efforts, and tried various 
modes to keep the young man in his toils, and 
to hinder his conversion. The servant of God 
supplicated more earnestly for this, and re- 



WORKS OF CHARITY. 215 

doubled her fasts and penances. After a long 
perseverance in her works of charity, the time 
at length came when it pleased God to answer 
her prayers. The young man went one clay 
on a party of pleasure to the Villa Pamfili. 
He exerted himself too much, and when he 
returned home he was attacked with a fever, 
which confined him to his bed. Anna Maria 
offered up her prayers for his recovery, and 
complained to God of his treating her with 
rigor, when she gave herself up as an expia- 
tion to the divine justice. She entreated our 
Lord to convince him by his heavenly grace, 
and not to make use of such severe means. 
To this request our Lord replied, "Do you 
think, my daughter, that I should conduct 
such sinners to heaven in a carriage ? Re- 
member that this is a lost soul, and that I have 
converted him in answer to your prayers and 
penances. Permit me to fix the time and the 
means. He will receive violent and terrible 
blows. Let me do as I will. Do you con- 
tinue to pray, without occupying yourself 
with other matters." His illness turned into 
a very bad tertian fever. During the time 
he was confined to his bed, he spent all his 
money. When Anna Maria saw him alone 
in lodgings, and in want of every thing, she 
16 



216 SAINTLY CHARACTERS. 

invited him to come to her house every day, 
and she would supply him with all that he 
required. He had suffered so much from his 
illness, that he now became as gentle as a 
lamb, when the servant of God addressed her- 
self to him. She turned this opportunity to 
good account by instructing him in the faith, 
and also by giving him good advice, and re- 
commending him always to hope in God. 
She contiiiued her prayers on his behalf. 
God, if it he permitted to speak bo, finding 
himself bound by the prayers of his servant, 
and by her penances, arranged matters so, 
that he should leave the city and return home. 
The summer was now advanced, and it be- 
came dangerous for him to remain in Rome. 
She gave him all the help, both temporal and 
spiritual, which he required, and desired him 
to retain in his memory all the good instruc- 
tion she had given him, and which one day 
would prove beneficial. During all the wick- 
edness of his former life he preserved a great 
kindness for the poor. It was no doubt in 
consequence of this, that God had been pleased 
to extend such mercies to him. 

When he went back to the country he had 
to endure crosses of all descriptions — persecu- 
tion, loss of goods, and of friends, even of 



HER PEAYEES. 217 

those for whom he had made great sacrifices. 
His illness returned, and he became very sad. 
He then remembered all the holy servant of 
God told him about those false friends, amongst 
whom he had spent so much money. He 
wrote to Rome to his benefactress during his 
sickness. He had the use of his reason all this 
time, but his end now approached. He sent 
for a pious priest, and made his confession to 
him. After receiving absolution he lost his 
senses, and died without receiving the Viati- 
cum. He was thus rescued from destruction 
by the divine grace, which saved him, and 
converted him at the close of his life, and 
placed him in a state in which he could not 
be assailed by the temptations of the evil 
one. 

The holy woman, when she heard of his 
death, ceased not to pray for the soul of her 
departed friend. She was making a pil- 
grimage to St. Paul's outside the walls, and 
after she had received communion at the altar 
of the Blessed Sacrament, she went into an 
ecstasy. During tills she was made acquaint- 
ed with the dreadful sufferings of his soul in 
purgatory. She was also informed that, as 
bIic had delivered his soul from hell by offer- 
ing herself as an expiation for his sins, she 



218 SAINTLY CHARACTERS. 

must be prepared to suffer a portion of what 
he now endured. The servant of God bowed 
her head with submission, and thanked God 
for bestowing on her so great a grace. She 
asked our Saviour to enable her to bear what 
she must submit to. From that time she was 
laden with sufferings of every description, 
persecution on the part of the devil, calumnies 
on the part of friends, disorder in her family, 
and temptations. If God had not come to her 
help, she could not have borne with them. 
When she had suffered for five years, it 
pleased God to make known to her, that her 
friend was now put in possession of eternal 
glory, where he soon gave proofs of his not 
forgetting her kindness. He remembered also 
his friend, who had made him acquainted with 
the servant of God. He lived by himself in 
the upper room of a large house. One night, 
when he was asleep, some assassins attempted 
to enter his place. He felt some one take him 
by the hand, and call him by name. He 
recognized his friend, who said to him, "This 
is no time to sleep; get up immediately." 
He got up, and could not imagine why he 
had appeared to him in this manner. He 
heard the noise of those who were trying to 
enter the house, and lighting several candles 



HER FRIEND. 219 

commenced speaking with a loud voice, as if 
he were in company with some persons. The 
robbers then went away as soon as they could. 
In the morning traces of them were found, 
and also the precautions which they had taken 
to prevent their being heard. Thus the friend 
preserved the life of the person who had gain- 
ed spiritual joys for him. 

"We see from these instances, how she never 
ceased to labor for the welfare of her neigh- 
bor, and how we should never despair of a 
soul, no matter how great the sins with which 
it may be stained. 



CHAPTER II. 
Special Graces — Knowledge of Future Events. 

The servant of God on other occasions, be- 
sides the one mentioned in the last chapter, 
gave proof of it having pleased God to bestow 
on her especial graces. The following are 
remarkable instances of this. 

A young man, who belonged to a family of 
great distinction, came to Rome. Before re- 
turning home, as he was acquainted with 
Anna Maria, he went to see her. She said to 
him, "Do not go by such a road, go by an- 
other; for when you will come to a certain 



220 SAINTLY CHARACTERS. 

place, you will meet with what will prove a 
great danger, and when you will give the 
alarm, no one will hear you." 

The young man did not remember her 
warning, and the driver followed the road 
which he had been directed by her not to 
take. He then began to remember it, and 
called to the driver to stop. But he did not 
mind him, but drove on more rapidly, and 
when they came to the place she had indicat- 
ed, the carriage was upset. He was saved by 
what seemed to be a particular dispensation 
of Providence, but his servant received a con- 
tusion on his head from which he afterwards 
died. He related the matter to several per- 
sons, and made an authentic deposition re- 
specting it. 

Count Alexander Michaud, aide-de-camp to 
the Emperor of Russia, was at Rome when 
the prince died. He was much grieved at 
the intelligence, for he loved the Emperor, 
and also feared great changes at Court, which 
would be injurious to his interests. He made 
his anxieties known to Anna Maria, who con- 
soled him by informing him that the new 
Emperor would treat him with kindness, and 
that his journey to Russia would be accom- 
plished with safety, notwithstanding the un- 



HEK PREDICTIONS. 221 

favorable season of the year. Her prediction 
was fulfilled in every particular, and the Gen- 
eral wrote a letter of thanks to Anna Maria, 
which is yet preserved amongst the other 
documents connected with the cause. 

Other instances of a similar description 
could be cited. She foretold the death of 
Leo XII. and the election of Pius VIII. , and 
the election of Gregory XVI., and the polit- 
ical circumstances connected with his Ponti- 
ficate. 

Though she died before Pius IX. was elect- 
ed Pope, yet she was able to tell several things 
connected with his reign. 

She was one day talking to a pious priest 
respecting the persecutions which the Church 
would undergo. She told him of the wicked- 
ness, which would be committed in Rome, 
and what the Pope would suffer. The priest 
then asked her who would be Pope at that 
time, and if he was then amongst the number 
of Cardinals. She replied that he was not, 
for he was now only a simple priest, and was 
in a distant country far away from Pome. 
At that time Pius IX. was but a simple priest, 
and was attached to the nunciature in Chili. 

Anna Maria stated that the future Pontiff 
would be elected in an extraordinary manner; 



222 SAINTLY CHARACTERS. 

that he would introduce reforms ; that, if per- 
sons were thankful for these, God would give 
them many blessings, but if they abused them, 
he would punish them for their iniquities. 
She said that this Pope, elected in perfect ac- 
cordance with the will of God, would be as- 
sisted by him with extraordinary lights, and 
that his name would be held in high esteem 
by all the nations of the world, that even the 
Turk would pay him respect, and that foreign 
nations would come to his succor. That in 
Home, and in other places, sin would triumph, 
and that God permitted this to separate the 
chaff from the wheat. She said that the Pon- 
tiff would weather the storm that would beat 
against the bark of Peter, and that God would 
defend his Church against the wicked, who 
would be placed in a state of humiliation and 
confusion, and that it would obtain so great a 
triumph that every one would be astonished." 
The priest, to whom Anna Maria told these 
things, related them to Mgr. Luquet, the 
Bishop of Heshbon. 

When the servant of God prayed for those 
unhappy times, and asked of her heavenly 
spouse, who would resist these calamities, she 
was told by him, " Those who had received 
the gift of humility.; he who is really meek 



pius ix. 223 

says, let us be thankful for the visitations of 
God, we deserve them for our sins. He who 
is lowly does not criticise the conduct of 
any one, much less that of the head of the 
Church. But those who pass for good people, 
when they are really not so, will not see the 
triumph and the peace of the Church. Some 
will be humbled in one manner, and others in 
a different way." 

Anna Maria saw the coming of the republic 
of 1848 in the days of Pius VII., when pray- 
ing on the 31st of August, 1816, in the Church 
of St. Charles at the Quatro Fontane. She 
was in a rapture, and heard her divine spouse 
pronounce against the wicked people fearful 
threats. At other times she saw Rome on 
fire, the churches sacked and destroyed, and 
the blood of priests flowing in the streets. 
She had also told some things not less inter- 
esting, respecting the venerable Pontiff Pius 
VII. The Pope had heard from Cardinal 
Pedichni much respecting her. He therefore 
wished that she would write to himself, and 
Anna Maria, in obedience to his command, 
informed him of the most minute details of his 
childhood, which the Holy Father, smiling, said 
wore quite true. Every time he saw the Car- 
dinal, ho asked him how Anna Maria did; he 



224 SAINTLY CHARACTERS. 

sent her his benediction, and bid her pray 
according to his intentions. She also foretold 
much, that was connected with the election of 
other popes, and several circumstances of the 
revolutions in France and Spain, and the po- 
litical situation of Russia, the war in Poland, 
and the bloody scenes which would be enact- 
ed there. 

She foretold so many facts connected with 
different persons, that it would be too tedious 
to mention them all. A few only will be re 
lated. 

One day she met Cardinal Marazzani on 
his way to visit the tomb of the Apostles, 
where he was going with great pomp, accord- 
ing to custom, after his election as Cardinal. 
Some person asked her what she thought of 
this ceremony. She looked at the procession, 
and then lowering her eyes, said, " To-day the 
Cardinal is in great pomp, and in a month he 
will be in the tomb." What she stated prov- 
ed to be true, for the Cardinal died within a 
month. 

The Cardinal Cristaldi was about going to 
Naples. He was very much disturbed at 
some person telling him, he would die dur- 
ing the journey. He sent to the servant of 
God to know what she would say respecting 



THE GIFT OF PROPHECY. 225 

it, and she told him to go to Naples and not 
he afraid. She added that he would return 
home in safety, and in proof of this, she said 
that the intention which he had in his mind 
would not be realized. Every thing happened 
as Anna Maria had foretold. 

When Napoleon had invaded Spain, she 
told her confessor, who belonged to the Trini- 
tarian order, of the death of the Qeneral of 
the order. This circumstance could not be 
known by any human means at Home. She 
also stated, that he was going from one town 
to another, accompanied by a religious, and 
that they had been attacked and put to death. 
She told them that they had died with faith 
and patience in such an eminent degree, that 
they had no need of their prayers. All these 
particulars were verified respecting those holy 
men. 

On another occasion a lady of high rank 
was disturbed respecting her brother, whom 
she supposed to have fallen into the hands 
of his enemies. She sent to Anna Maria to 
know if this were the case. She told the 
messenger not to be afraid, as the lady's 
brother was safe. She described the persona 
who had accompanied him, and every circum- 
stance connected witli his adventure. 



226 SAINTLY CHARACTERS. 

A son of one of the rich merchants became 
dangerously ill. * His relations commended 
him to the prayers of Anna Maria. She told 
them that he would now recover, but that at 
the end of five years he would fall from his 
horse, and be carried home insensible. " It will 
be necessary," she said, " to pray to our Lord, 
and he will recover his senses only for a short 
time, to enable him to go to confession and to 
receive the eucharist." This was verified in 
every particular. 

She was often consulted respecting the souls 
in purgatory, and comforted by the appearing 
of those to her, who had been delivered by her 
prayers. They came to thank her for the 
charity she had shown them. At other times 
she was filled with such sorrow as made her 
weep, when she beheld souls going to hell. 
She saw the judgment scene, and seemed to 
hear the sentence passed on them, and also the 
grounds on which they were condemned. 
Other instances might be added, which 
would tend to show the humility which the 
saint preserved amidst all these gifts. 



HER DEATH. 227 



CHAPTER III. 
Death of the Servant of God. 

Anna Maria having lived her allotted time, 
died on the 9th of June, 1S37, in a manner 
worthy of the penitential life which she had 
led, and in great reputation for her sanctity. 
Though she took every care to hide from the 
world the extraordinary graces which were 
bestowed on her, she was an object of ad- 
miration to all. Even those most distinguish- 
ed for their piety and for their social position, 
paid her every homage. When persons met 
her in the streets, or in the churches, they 
approached her with respect to recommend 
themselves to her prayers, or to ask her ad- 
vice. The highest Ecclesiastical dignities 
visited her for the same object, and even 
seculars high in power were not backward in 
asking to be instructed by her. 

Pius VII. and Leo XII. expressed the 
greatest regard for her, and the latter sent his 
own physician to visit her when she was ill. 

Many Ecclesiastics, who died in the odor 
of sanctity, held her in the highest veneration. 
Mgr. Strombi of the order of the Passionists, 
Mgr. Mennochio, Canon Buffalo, Brother Felix 



228 SAINTLY CHARACTERS. 

of Montefiascone, and many others, were wont 
to consult her on matters of importance. 

The Abbate Pallotti, founder of the pioua 
Union at Rome, and whose cause is now pend- 
ing before the Congregation of Rites, received 
through her intercession such graces during 
her lifetime, and after her death, that he was 
accustomed to call her "the secretary and 
plenipotentiary of his congregation near the 
throne of God." 

Father Bernard, whose reputation for sanc- 
tity was very great, had often recourse to her 
with much protit to himself, especially in the 
spiritual trials which he endured, before it 
pleased God to grant him those favors which 
he afterwards conferred on him. When she 
died he said, " If she is not in paradise, no 
one will go there." Mgr. Basilici, Bishop of 
Sutri, celebrated for his piety, and particular- 
ly for his devotion to St. Philomena, when 
saying mass, prayed for the servant of God. 
He said that when he had done so, he felt his 
heart filled witli consolation, and was more 
inclined to recommend himself to her prayers, 
than to make a memento of her. 

After her death every one seemed more 
fully impressed with the idea of her sanctity. 
Many came from a distance to visit her tomb, 



hp:k funeral. 229 

having heard of her piety, and of the gifts 
which God had been pleased to confer on her. 
At Koine the highest honors were paid to 
her. The cholera had already made its ap- 
pearance, both in the northern and in the 
southern portions of Itaty, and a large con- 
course of persons was not allowed to assemble 
in the church, when the holy woman died. 
Her departure from amongst the living was 
at first scarcely noticed, but in a short time 
the report of it soon spread through the city, 
and every one was desirous to be made 
acquainted with it. The Canon Buffalo, who 
died on the 20th of December in the same 
year, having met a priest near the Church of 
the Gesu, expressed the great grief which he 
felt at the city being deprived of so holy a 
person, and added, "when God calls to him- 
self souls which are so dear to him, it is a sign 
that he intends to punish us." The cholera 
appeared in a short time, and caused dreadful 
ravages. The cemetery of St. Lawrence was 
soon tilled with corpses, but notwithstanding 
the general terror, many persons came to visit 
the tomb of the servant of God. The Cardi- 
nal Vicar desired a holy priest, who had been 
in attendance on her, and who was acquainted 
with her for more than twenty years, to collect 



230 SAINTLY CHARACTERS. 

all the documents connected with her life, 
that if it should please Providence to permit 
the cause of canonization to be proceeded 
with, the necessary proofs of her holiness and 
piety might not be wanting. Cardinal Pedi- 
cini, in writing to the Cardinal Vicar, states 
that he knew her for more than thirty years, 
and that during that period he admired her 
for her extraordinary gifts, and the lights with 
which God had been pleased to enrich her 
soul. That the knowledge she had of 
future events connected with the Church 
and the world, were so wonderful, that they 
show how highly she was favored. He re- 
quests of the Cardinal Vicar to have her re- 
mains consigned to some safe place of safe 
keeping. He adds also, that several persons, 
amongst whom were Pius VII., Leo XIL^ 
Bishop Flaget and Bishop Stambi, held her 
in the highest possible repute. 

Though others in a state of virginity, and 
widowhood, have been enabled to show a 
life separated from the world, and more 
closely united to God, Anna Maria Taigi has 
manifested this in the marriage state, and 
whilst she performed the duties of a wife and 
of a mother in a most exemplary manner, she 



HER HOLT LIFE. 231 

possessed at the same time a most perfect de- 
tachment from the things of this life, and the 
closest union with God, who had enriched her 
with many supernatural gifts. 



THE SPIRITUAL WORKS OF THE YEN- 

ERABLE LOUIS GRIGNON DE 

MONTFORT. 

In all cases of Canonization, the writings 
of the venerable servants of God are always 
subject to revision. It has happened on sev- 
eral occasions, by a special dispensation, that 
the Holy Father has allowed the cause to be 
proceeded with, before this examination has 
taken place. But it must be concluded be- 
fore judgment is passed on the virtues, in ac- 
cordance with a decree of Urban VIII. This 
inquiry into all connected with what the ven- 
erable servant of God wrote, does not refer to 
what others have written respecting him, or 
set down from statements which he may have 
made. These latter are connected with the 
sentence respecting the virtues of the saint, 
and usually form part of the process at that 
period of the cause. The general rule is to 



CASES OF THE POPES. 233 

examine all the writings of the holy persons. 
Even those undertaken by the order of su- 
periors are not excepted. It makes no differ- 
ence whether these works be large or small, 
or written for public or private reading, they 
are all subject to revision. Benedict XIV. 
tells us, that since this mode of Canonization 
has been established, the causes of four pon- 
tiffs have been undertaken. Pius V., who 
was canonized by Clement XI. Gregory X. 
whose case was commenced before the de- 
crees of Urban YIIL, and carried on when 
Benedict XIY. was promoter of the faith. 
The third is Pope Innocent XI., and the 
fourth Benedict XI. Respecting the cases 
of the pontiffs, the following seems to be the 
mode of proceeding. All the works which 
they wrote before they were raised to the 
pontifical chair, are to be examined like those 
of other persons. A distinction is usually 
made respecting those writings they may 
have composed when they became popes. 
Those which have the force of law, or 
which concern the affairs or government 
of the Universal Church, having been spoken 
ex cathedra, are not subject to any revision ; 
but those which are not of this nature, 
and which are not connected with the general 



234: SAINTLY CHARACTERS. 

management of the Church, are obliged to 
undergo the scrutiny, for these are only the 
writings of the pope as a private doctor. If 
Innocent X. were to be canonized, all the 
commentaries, which he published on the 
decretals, should be examined. With respect 
to Pius Y., his letters were reviewed by the 
proper authority, but the constitutions found 
in the Bullarium, were not brought under this 
rule. The letters of Gregory X. connected 
with the Council of Lyons, the expedition to 
the holy land, the reconciliation of the Greeks, 
and the other constitutions found in the decre- 
tals were not examined, but his discourse at 
Florence respecting the Guelfs and the Ghib 
elines, was treated in the same manner as the 
writings of the other servants of God. Benedict 
XL wrote some homilies on St. Matthew, 
chapter 5, before he was made Pope. These 
were examined, like the writings of others 
whose cause is before the Congregation of 
Rites. 

The original letters must be produced, and 
also the autographs of any anonymous work, 
that it may thus appear that they are not 
falsely attributed to the person whose cause 
is under consideration. All the works which 
have been printed during his lifetime, must 



REVISION OF WORKS. 235 

also undergo the same process. If any of the 
writings of the servant of God are published 
after his death, the original MSS. must be 
produced, to show that the author has not 
committed any error against faith and morals, 
which may have been corrected by his edi- 
tors. 

The consultors are always present at the 
examination of the writings. The persons, to 
whom the revision of the works are intrusted, 
are usually appointed by the Cardinal relator 
in the cause. Their names are not mentioned, 
in order that they may thus be free in giving 
their opinions, which are made in writing. 
They note down the title of the work, the in- 
tention of the author in writing it, and the 
propositions which they deem worthy of con- 
demnation, and any thing which is contrary 
to sound doctrine. They are also required to 
state the theological censure with which it 
should be marked. They then give their vote, 
and sign all the documents, which are present- 
ed to the Cardinal relator, who submits them 
to the Congregation, and to the Holy Father. 
In some instances they are shown to the pro- 
moter of the faith, who also makes his re- 
marks. They are then given to the postulators 
in the cause, who answer the difficulties which 



236 SAINTLY CHARACTERS. 

have been made in connection with the writ- 
ings. When all the formalities have been 
gone through, the question respecting the 
writings is proposed in the ordinary Congre 
gation. If the sentence of the Cardinals is un- 
favorable, and the Pope confirms it, all proceed- 
ings in the cause are stayed ; if it be other- 
wise, the process is carried on, and the acts 
necessary for beatification are completed. 

It must, however, be remarked, that any 
judgment which is passed respecting these 
writings, cannot be considered as an approba- 
tion of them. It is a simple declaration that 
they contain nothing contrary to faith, or 
morals, or the common belief of the Church. 
Benedict XIV. observes, that after this revi- 
sion of the writings, it cannot be said that 
the doctrine of the servant of God was ap- 
proved of by the Holy See ; that the most 
that can be stated, if the revisors have found 
nothing in those works contrary to the decrees 
of Urban TILL, and if the pope has confirmed 
their sentence, is, that they were not disap- 
proved. The modern practice is to review the 
writings before the signing of the commission, 
if there be any belonging to the person whose 
cause is proceeding. For as it must be buried 
in eternal silence, if there be any errors in his 



ISSUING OF COMMISSION. 237 

works, it is but right that the examination 
should precede the issuing of the commission, 
to prevent the postulates being engaged in a 
what cannot be carried to a happy conclu- 
sion. When serious difficulties would arise, 
if this postponement should take place, as, 
for instance, some of the witnesses might die, 
then the revision is postponed, and a commis- 
sion is made out to examine the witnesses, 
but no ulterior proceedings are taken until 
all the writings are examined in the usual 
manner. 



CHAPTER I. 

The Jvclgment of the Holy See respecting the Writings 
of the Venerable Qrignon de Montfort. 

The commission for the introduction of the 
cause was signed by Gregory XYI. Sept. 7, 
1S38. The decree speaks of the zeal which 
the venerable servant of God always mani- 
fested against Jansenism, and the persecution 
which he endured, in consequence of his at- 
tachment to the Holy See. He appears to 
have founded the Congregations of the Mis- 
sionaries of the Holy Ghost, and of the Sis- 
ters of Holy Wisdom. lie was born in the 



238 SAINTLY CHARACTERS. 

town of Montfort, and commenced his educa- 
tion in the college of Rennes. He afterwards 
went to Paris to study theology at St. Sulpice, 
and was ordained priest in 1700. He was 
anxious to go to the Mediterranean, to evan- 
gelize the countries bordering on its Eastern 
shores, but his superiors sent him on the mis- 
sion at Nantes and afterwards at Poitiers. He 
returned to Paris, and was appointed to the 
Hospital of Salpietre, when after a short time 
he returned to Poitiers, to devote himself to 
the hospitals of that city. In 1706 he went to 
Home, and asked of Clement XL to send him 
on a foreign mission. This the Pope refused 
to do, and desired him to return to France, 
where he acted as missionary in the Western 
provinces, and gave many proofs, both of his 
zeal and of his charity. At St. Lorenzo, in the 
diocese of Rochelle, he first established his 
Congregations, and also a confraternity of the 
Holy Wisdom. He died at St. Lorenzo, 
April 28th, 1716, inihe odor of sanctity. 

In 1811 the Congregation of Rites gave di- 
rections to have his writings collected to- 
gether. The originals were presented, and 
amongst these a book entitled " The Love of 
Holy Wisdom," and a work, which had been 
printed under the title of " A Treatise on True 



HIS WRITINGS. 239 

Devotion to the Blessed Virgin." The fol- 
lowing MSS. were also sent to the Congrega- 
tion of Rites : — " The Secret of the Holy 
Rosary ; " " Three Volumes of Spiritual 
Hymns ;" " A Yolume of Sermons," arranged 
in alphabetical order ; another MSS. " On the 
Three Crowns of the Blessed Virgin," and 
several compositions on devotion to her, and 
on other matters. Copies, also, were made 
of the rales of the Missionaries, and of the 
Daughters of. Wisdom. The former com- 
mences by a fervent prayer to God on behalf 
of the Society. 

He also composed for his religious, " Max- 
ims or Lessons of Divine Love," and prayers 
to be used every day. Two other books, 
written by him, were also sent to the Congre- 
gation ; one called " The Life, Death, and 
Passion of Jesus, and Mary in the Holy 
Rosary," the other, Esclavage de Marie. The 
MS. of the latter is made by some person, 
who states that it is a copy of the work which 
was composed by de Montfort, and sent to a 
person of piety. All these were submitted to 
the Congregation of Rites. Two consul tors 
examined them, and made their reports in 
writing, which were transmitted to the pro- 
moter of the faith. The postulators received 



24:0 SAINTLY CHARACTERS. 

the objections with full liberty to reply to 
them, and to show that there was nothing 
wrong in the writings, or doctrine of the ven- 
erable servant of God. In the ordinary meet- 
ing of the Congregation, held in the Vatican 
Palace, May 7, 1853, it was decided, that the 
works of Grignon de Montfort contained noth- 
ing which would hinder the cause being pro- 
ceeded with. 



CHAPTER II. 
The Booh entitled, " The Love of Eternal Wisdom." 

The impression which the works of Grignon 
de Montfort produce, is very different from 
that caused by ordinary writings. They 
breathe the internal unction, the peace and 
consolation, which are usually found in the 
books written by those whom God has favored 
with especial lights. The principal founda- 
tion of his doctrine, is the joy and happiness 
which is usually found in souls which have 
been regenerated by baptism. Of this, St. 
Paul speaks in the Epistle to the Ephesians, 
when he prays " that Christ may dwell by 
faith in their hearts ;" and again, when in writ- 
ing to the Galatiaus, lie says, k * I live now, not 



HIS DEVOTION. 241 

I, but Christ liveth in me." This is the life 
of the new Adam in Christians, of which St 
Ignatius of Antioch speaks. This caused the 
father of Origen to kiss the bosom of his 
son, which he considered to be a sanctuary 
and a true temple of the Spirit of our Lord. 

This devotion, to our Saviour living in souls, 
was practised, and recommended by the pious 
founder of the Seminary of St. Sulpice. 
Grignon de Montfort was one of the most 
illustrious pupils of this Seminary, and he 
shows he understood well the devotion of the 
founder. The mode in which he speaks of 
the veneration due to the Blessed Virgin, is 
connected with the proceeding, and is very well 
expressed in the prayer, which is used daily 
at St. Sulpice : " O, Jesus, who liveth in 
Mary, come and live in thy servants, in the 
spirit of thy holiness, in the fulness of thy 
gifts, in the perfection of thy ways, in the 
communion of thy mysteries, overcome every 
adverse power by thy Spirit, to the glory of 
the Father. Amen." 

The servant of God was filled with such 
sentiments towards our Saviour, living by 
faith in the souls of His people, and working 
there by grace, that he conceived the most 
ardent love for God, who became incarnate, 



24:2 SAINTLY CHARACTERS. 

and thus humbled himself for us. He ven- 
erated him especially as the eternal wisdom, 
and wrote the tract, entitled " The Love of 
the Eternal Wisdom." He was anxious to 
establish a congregation of females under this 
title. The name which he gave to his society 
of Missionaries, was also taken from it. The 
work begins with an invocation of the eternal 
wisdom, followed by an exhortation to the 
great persons of the world, composed of max- 
ims taken from the book of Wisdom. The 
first chapter treats of the necessity of know- 
ing the divine wisdom, in order that we may 
love it, and seek for it. The second chapter 
is on the excellence of this wisdom, and its 
origin. The third treats of the wonders it has 
performed in the creation of the world, and 
especially in making man. In the fourth, the 
author relates the miracles of goodness and 
mercy of our Saviour, the true wisdom, before 
the incarnation. He points out, in the fifth, 
the excellence of divine wisdom, considered 
in itself. In the sixth, he speaks of His desire 
to communicate himself to men. In the sev- 
enth, he shows the necessity of choosing this, 
m preference to the wisdom of the world. He 
describes, in the eighth chapter, the glorious 
effects of this divine wisdom in the souls of 



THE LOVE OF THE ETERNAL WISDOM. 21:3 

those where it dwells. The ninth chapter 
has an account of the Divine incarnation 
in the womb of the Blessed Virgin. The 
author, in the tenth, speaks of its beauty and 
loveliness considered in itself, in the eleventh, 
of its beauty in its external works. The 
twelfth contains maxims of true wisdom, 
taken from Holy Writ, which are to be a rule 
of life, in order that one may work out his 
salvation, and obtain evangelical perfection. 
The sufferings of this divine wisdom for us 
are recorded in the thirteenth, and the four- 
teenth chronicles His triumph on the cross 
and by the cross. In the fifteenth, and six- 
teenth, he presents to his readers the means 
of acquiring it. In the seventeenth, he shows 
how devotion to the Blessed Virgin is a most 
efficacious means for obtaining it. The work 
concludes with a consecration of oneself 
to the incarnate wisdom, by the hands of 
Mary. 

This book, which may be considered as a 
collection of texts of scripture referring to the 
eternal wisdom, both before and after the in- 
carnation, is calculated to make us see the 
necessity of following these maxims, which 
are contrary to the wisdom of the world, in 
order that we may live the most perfect 



24:4: SAINTLY CHARACTERS. 

Christian life, the life of our Saviour in the 
soul. 

The servant of God left another work, en- 
titled " The Maxims and Lessons of Heavenly 
Wisdom," which he wrote for his pious Con- 
gregation of Women. 



CHAPTER III. 
The Work upon Devotion to the Blessed Virgin. 

" It is through the Blessed Virgin that our 
Saviour has come into the world, and it is by 
her he should reign in the world." Such is 
the first sentence of this book, and it expresses 
the design which the author had in writing it. 
It speaks of the hidden life of the Blessed 
Virgin, and of the glory which her dignity, as 
Mother of God, will obtain for her in all ages, 
and in eternity. He says with the saints, 
" that of the Mother of God enough never 
can be said." He explains the gifts of God 
with respect to her, and her cooperation in 
the redemption of the world, and in the sanc- 
tification of the Church throughout all ages, 
in virtue of her divine maternity, the fruits 
of which are to be seen both in heaven and 
on earth. Mary is the mother of all Chris- 



THE BLESSED VIRGIN. 245 

tians in her son. He declares as consequences 
from this : 1st. That Mary has received 
great power over souls ; 2d. That, as the Bless- 
ed Virgin was in a certain sense necessary to 
God in the work of sanctitication, she is yet 
more necessary to man for his eternal salva- 
tion ; 3d. She is more necessary also to man 
to acquire perfection ; and he adds, that God 
desired to manifest more fully the glories, and 
the power of Mary, as the world approaches 
to its last state of corruption, and, consequent- 
ly, the true friends of our Lord should in- 
crease more and more in their inward love, 
and in their external devotion to this holy 
Mother. The essential marks of true devo- 
tion to the Mother of God are 1st. That our 
Saviour shall be the end of it; 2d. That our 
Saviour, being such as he now is, we are not 
our own, but his, and are, therefore, serfs or 
slaves. The author adds, " what I speak ab- 
solutely of our Saviour, I say relatively of 
Mary, whom our Lord chose as the inseparable 
companion of his life, his death, his glory, 
and his power in heaven and on earth, having 
given her by his grace the same rights, and 
privileges, which he possesses by his nature." 
3d. All our actions, even our best ones, being 
often tainted by a self-love, and by our corrupt 



2^6 SAINTLY CHAEACTEES. 

nature, we ought to purify them by the devo- 
tion of Mary. 4th. In consequence of our 
corruption, we need a mediator between our 
sou], and God. According to St. Bernard, " as 
our Saviour is the mediator between God and 
his creatures, so Mary, created without sin, is 
the mediatrix between our Saviour and his sin- 
ful creatures." 5th. Our weakness is so great, 
that with difficulty we preserve the graces, 
and the gifts, which we receive. Mary is our 
safest guardian. 

False devotion to the Blessed Virgin has 
the following marks :— 1st. The critical ven- 
erators, who cannot humble themselves, and 
follow the sanctifying practice of the devout 
in heart ; 2d. The scrupulous venerators, 
who fear they will dishonor the Son, when they 
honor the Mother; 3d. The external venera- 
tors, whose heart is far from the holy Mother 
of God ; 4th. The presumptuous venerators, 
who content themselves with some external 
practices without regulating their life; 5th. 
The inconstant venerators ; 6th. The hypo- 
critical venerators; 7th. The interested ven- 
erators, who seek their worldly interest with- 
out thinking of their soul. 

True devotion to Mary should be inward, 
holy, constant, and disinterested. Speaking 



THE BLESSED VIRGIN. 247 

of the practices, both external and internal, of 
this true devotion, he mentions that of the holy 
bondage of Jesus in Mary, which he estab- 
lishes on this principle ; our perfection consist- 
ing entirely in conformity, union, and conse- 
cration to our Saviour. The most perfect of 
all devotions is that which renders us most 
conformable, most united, and altogether con- 
secrated to him. Mary being the most like 
God amongst all his creatures, it follows that 
of all devotions, this, which makes us most 
like to him, is the veneration of his Virgin 
Mother. Perfect consecration to our Saviour 
is nothing less, than a perfect and entire con- 
secration of ourself to the Blessed Virgin. 
This is the devotion he desires to teach. It 
consists in giving ourselves entirely to our 
Lord : — 1st. We must give him our bodies 
with their senses and members ; 2d. Our soul 
with all its faculties ; 3d. Our good works, 
past, present, and future. Man, who was a 
slave of the devil, has been placed in bondage 
to our Lord by baptism. This devotion is like 
a perpetual renewal of our baptismal vows. 
The author recommends his doctrine on the 
following grounds: — 1st. The excellency of 
sacrificing ourselves lor the service of God ; 
2d. The state of filial obedience which our 



24S SAINTLY CHARACTERS. 

Lord embraced on earth in obedience to 
Mary; 3d. The generosity and liberality of 
the Blessed Virgin for her children ; 4tb. The 
value which our good works acquire before 
God from alike consecration ; 5th. The facility 
which this devotion obtains for as, of arriving 
at a union with the true perfection of Christ ; 
6th. The interior liberty of the true servants 
of God, in Mary; 7th. The advantage which 
our neighbor derives from it ; and in the last 
place, the readiness which it affords us, in per- 
severing in the way of perfection. 

He applies to this devotion the fact of Jacob 
taking his father's blessing on the recommen- 
dation of his mother Rebecca. He considers 
Esau as the representative of the reprobate, 
and Jacob as the type of the predestinate.' 
He explains this fact ingeniously for the in- 
struction of Christians. He states the great 
blessings which the Virgin Mary promises to 
her faithful servants, her love, her maternal 
solicitude, equal to the care and to the succor 
which Eebecca had for her son, who was in 
such a mysterious manner made partaker of 
his father's benediction. 

The faithful soul finds in this devotion 
special lights from the Holy Ghost. 1st. The 
most lively faith, which participates in the 



THE BLESSED VIKGDtf. 249 

faith of Mary ; 2d. Liberty of soul ; 3d. Per- 
fect confidence in God ; 4th. Union with the 
spirit of Mary, in the perfect glory which she 
renders to the Trinity ; 5th. Mary, the true 
tree of life, will most certainly produce, as her 
fruit, our Saviour in our hearts; 6th. In a 
short time merits are acquired by means of 
the Spirit of God living in Mary. 

The external practices of this devotion con- 
sist in three weeks' preparation by spiritual 
exercises before practising them ; 2d. In recit- 
ing every day the rosary of the Blessed 
Virgin ; 3d. In wearing small chains, blessed, 
as a mark of spiritual servitude ; 4th. Particu- 
lar devotion on the 25th of March; 5th. In 
having constant devotion at the Ave Maria / 
6th. In saying the Magnificat frequently ; 
7th. In despising the world. The mental de- 
votions consist in doing every action in Mary, 
and by Mary, in order that they may be per- 
fected in our Saviour, for our Saviour, and 
with our Saviour; and to this he adds the 
manner of receiving the Sacraments of Pen- 
ance, and the Eucharist. 

Grignon de Montfort also left another work 
on the devotion of the Blessed Virgin, enti- 
tled "The admirable Secret of the Holy Ro- 
sary." It is divided into fifty-nine Poses, and 



250 SAINTLY CHARACTERS. 

points out its excellence by treating of the 
origin of the devotion by its name, by the 
prayers which are recited, by the indulgences 
which the Holy See grants to it, and also 
by the graces which have been obtained by 
means of it. It shows how it is to be said, 
it states the rules of the confraternities, and 
adds some useful exhortations, and also a 
shorter method of performing it. 

Another work is entitled "The Holy Virgin 
crowned with Three Crowns," which are call- 
ed, 1st. The crown of excellence ; 2d. The 
crown of power ; and 3d. The crown of good- 
ness. Each of these has twelve stars, repre- 
senting the glories and the privileges of the 
Blessed Virgin. There is a statement con- 
tained in this work, which at first sight 
seems rather hazardous, "that the Virgin 
Mary merited more by nursing the infant 
Jesus, than the martyrs did by their suffer- 
ings." If it be remembered that the love of 
God is the true cause of all our merits, it is 
easy to understand the sense in which the 
servant of God intended to use it. In another 
place he states, that it is impossible for a ser- 
vant of God to be damned. This he explains 
by adding, that he means a moral impossibili- 
ty, and that he speaks of a devout servant, 



OBJECTIONS. 251 

who obtains through the intercession of Maiy 
the graces necessary to preserve his innocence, 
or to do penance if he should fall. He has 
also left a treatise on the devotion of the 
Blessed Virgin, which he considers as a mark 
of predestination, and he speaks of the life of 
our Saviour in her, and of how she received 
the Blessed Sacrament during her lifetime. 
He also left many hymns, which he had com- 
posed to be sung on the missions. 



CHAPTER IV. 

Objections against the Doctrine of Grignon de Montfort. 

The treatise on the devotion of the Blessed 
Virgin seems to be his principal work. All 
his writings breathe a most fervent love, and 
a most tender devotion to the Mother of God. 
In this there are powerful reflections and per- 
suasive exhortations, calculated to excite this 
devotion in his hearers. It is filled with sev- 
eral excellent remarks, which can be approv- 
ed of without any restriction. But there are, 
however, some propositions which require ex- 
planation. The pious author seems to believe, 
that the prerogatives of the Blessed Virgin 
were unknown before his time, and that the 



252 SAINTLY CHARACTERS. 

veneration due to her dignity, as Mother of 
Christ, through which title she confers graces 
on the regenerate, was not as fully paid to her 
as it ought to have been. This must refer to 
individuals, or to the mass of Christians ; it 
cannot refer to the Church, which must un- 
doubtedly have been well acquainted with 
the prerogatives of Mary. He states also, 
"that the Holy Ghost has, since the first 
preaching of the Gospel until our day, caused 
only a little to be known respecting the Bless- 
ed Virgin," and " though the Church knew 
Mary in every thing that was essential to its 
welfare, and to the consolation and edification 
of its children, yet a revelation respecting her, 
and a greater knowledge of her, seemed ne- 
cessary before the second coming of our Saviour, 
in order that we might know him, and serve 
him through her. When our Saviour will 
come again it will not be to be known, loved and 
served, but to judge the living, and the dead." 
He also affirms that devotion to the Blessed 
Virgin, wherever best known and prac- 
tised, will cause saints to arise who will excel 
in holiness all that ever lived before them, as 
the cedars of Libanus surpass the little 
trees. He states the new devotion which he 
desires to propagate in the following terms : 



OBJECTIONS. 253 

"God wishes his holy Mother to be better 
known, and more honored than she has ever 
been. This will take place if the predestined 
enter with the light of the Holy Ghost into 
those devotions ; for they will see with clear- 
ness, as far as faith permits, this beautiful star 
of the sea, and will arrive at the harbor, not- 
withstanding all the hindrances they may 
meet with. They will know the grandeur of 
this queen, and they will consecrate them- 
selves to her service as her subjects, and as 
the slaves of her love." Some reflections con- 
tained in the book may be taken in a sense 
contrary to that intended by the pious author. 
For instance, he says, " it is most perfect, be- 
cause it is most humble, not to approach God 
by ourselves without taking a mediator." If 
this be understood in its usual sense it cannot 
be maintained, for it would seem to intimate 
that we needed another mediator besides our 
Saviour. We can and we ought to approach 
God made man, who is the Saviour of men, 
directly and immediately. This is not con- 
trary to humility. We draw nigh to him not 
because we believe ourselves worthy, but be- 
cause it is necessary for us to do so, and be- 
cause he has paid the price of our redemp- 
tion. "No doubt," St. Bernard said, "we 



25i SAINTLY CHARACTERS. 

have need of a mediator with the mediator." 
The Church teaches the same thing, for she 
continually makes use of the intercession of 
saints and angels, and especially that of the 
Blessed Virgin. But neither the Church nor 
St. Bernard teach, that we should approach 
God only through this intercession, and that 
we would sin against humility in address- 
ing our prayers directly to him. The pious 
author says, that having conversed with 
several persons of learning and eminence, 
" they appeared to know nothing respecting 
the nature of this devotion," and he adds in 
another part of his book, " that it is not new ; 
it is so old that a person cannot find out the 
commencement of it." This seems to be a 
contradiction. 

The following shows in what this devotion 
consists : — " All perfection is placed in our 
being conformed to and united with our 
Saviour. The most perfect devotion is that 
which consecrates us to him. Of all creation 
Mary is the most conformed to our divine 
Lord. It follows that devotion to her is what 
will make us most like him, and the more a 
soul is consecrated to Mary the more devoted 
it will be to our Lord." Though it be 
granted that perfection consists in our being 



OBJECTIONS. 255 

made like our Lord, and that the Virgin Mary 
is the most perfect of all creation, it does not 
follow that devotion to her is the most perfect 
of all devotions, llyperdulla has its limits. 
The acts of Latvia must be addressed directly 
to God immediately, and not through any 
creature, however perfect she may be. 

The entire consecration of ourselves consists 
in giving to the Blessed Yirgin all that we 
have, or all that we can have, in the order of 
nature, of grace, and glory, without any re- 
serve, and through all eternity, without hop- 
ing for any other recompense than the honor 
of belonging to our Saviour, by her and 
through her. This total offering of ourself 
seems to belong to the worship of Latvia, 
which we give to God alone. The author 
adds, " that this gives more to God than the 
vows of religion." He also states, " that the 
Father only gives his Son through Mary, and 
communicates his graces only through her. 
As by her the Holy Ghost made our Lord's 
body, so he does not form the members of his 
mystical body but by her, and he does not 
dispense his gifts and favors but by her and 
through her." Now our Lord, during his life- 
time, invited all to come to him, and especial- 
ly the lowly and the humble. He reprehends 



256 SAINTLY CHARACTERS. 

the Pharisee, who wished to hinder the woman 
who was a sinner from coming to him. Never 
to approach Christ but through Mary, is to 
take a pure creature, as a necessary means be- 
tween sinners and Christ. The Church con- 
stantly addresses its prayers to the Son, or to 
the Father through our holy Mediator. She 
honors Mary, and places her above all beings, 
and asks her to pray for us. If it be true that 
we should not approach God but by, and 
through Mary, the Church would teach us 
this, and point it out to us by her example. 
Such are the objections made to this portion 
of the doctrine. 

To that part of it which requires us to wear, 
as marks of our being the slaves of Mary, little 
chains of iron, blessed with a particular form, 
it was objected that the Congregation of the 
Inquisition forbid the wearing these marks of 
servitude, and suppressed the confraternities 
which followed this practice. The pious 
author could not have been aware of this, 
when he wished persons to wear these chains, 
and to practise what the Church disapproved 
of. 

Certain passages also have a tendency to 
quietism. For instance, the following: — 
" That in order to humble ourselves, it is ne- 



ANSWEES. 257 

eessary to die to ourselves, that is, to renounce 
the operations of the powers of our soul, and 
our senses." Others seem to come near Jan- 
senism. He states, " that Mary is the mother 
of only the predestinate," when in reality she 
is the mother of all the members of Christ, and 
of all the brothers of Christ. 



CHAPTER V. 
Answer to the preceding Objectiojis. — Manifestations 
of the Blessed Virgin. — Apparition of the Saints 
in those latter times. 

In the preceding chapter the objections 
of the revisors to the doctrine taught in the 
writings of Grignon de Montfort, have been 
stated. The following replies were made 
to them by the postulators in the cause. 

When the author mentions that Mary has 
been unknown until the present time, and 
also, that there is need of a new revelation in 
order that we may know her, and love her, 
and serve our Lord; he alludes only to the 
practical knowledge, and makes use of the 
language of the saints, which asks God " to 
make himself known to man," and complains 
that he is not sufficiently known, and therefore 
often sinned against. The venerable Grignon 



258 SAINTLY CHARACTERS. 

de Montfort speaks in the same sense of the 
Blessed Virgin, and laments she is not known 
by pagans, schismatics, heretics, and a great 
number of Catholics. If we suppose that he 
speaks of the speculative knowledge, it refers 
to the mass of the faithful, and not to the 
Church. The Fathers and Doctors have 
spoken in most eloquent terms of the Blessed 
Virgin, " of Mary there never can be 
enough." The multitude being so back- 
ward in their knowledge, we may say 
without being rash, that Mary is unknown to 
them. The Church applies to Mary the words 
of Scripture, "They that explain me shall 
have life everlasting," and seems to indicate 
the necessity of this, and the utility which will 
arise from this explanation or shining forth, 
which will illuminate the surrounding dark- 
ness. 

What he mentions respecting the reign of 
our Saviour, which will be prepared by Mary, 
is evident to us, who are witnesses of the 
manner in which devotion to her has spread 
in these latter days. These facts show, that 
the author intends to speak of the reign of 
our Saviour in the hearts of his people by 
faith, which he will obtain when errors and 
heresies are brought to an end, and when all 



ANSWERS. 259 

men are united in one fold under the authori- 
ty of one pastor. God seems to have decreed, 
that this result will be obtained by the Blessed 
Virgin, and he has united the blessings, which 
we now behold, with the spreading of her de- 
votion. With this, also, is closely connect- 
ed the progress of foreign missions, the return 
of kingdoms to the faith, and the planting of 
it among nations that have been flooded by 
the waves of impiety. We behold the Blessed 
Virgin destroying the enemies of her Son, 
and preparing for him a kingdom, which he 
has purchased with his blood. When Grig- 
non de Montfort wrote his works, Jansenism 
was endeavoring to destroy devotion to the 
Blessed Virgin. A century and a half has 
passed by, and we see the changes which have 
taken place. With respect to the second 
coming of our Saviour, he no doubt means his 
coining to reign in our hearts. This is evident 
from the duties, which he ascribes to the 
Blessed Virgin in preparing his kingdom, and 
in destroying the enemies of God. 

The author writes, " that Mary was the 
mother of a God-man, and, consequently, she 
will bring to pass in those latter times the 
greatest things, the formation, and the educa- 
tion of saints greater than those of olden 



260 SAINTLY CHARACTERS. 

times." This was made known to a holy per- 
son, whose life has been written by AL 
Renty. The predictions, which are not con- 
trary to revealed truths, the doctrines of the 
Church, or sound reason, are not subject to 
censures. If they have some extrinsic or in- 
trinsic probability, every prudent person will 
abstain from condemning them. He who can 
say, that in the course of 150 years Mary will 
be more perfectly made known by the Holy 
Ghost, that through her means the world will 
be changed, and the reign of Christ prepared, 
can by the same light foretell that persons of 
eminent sanctity will arise in the Church. 
This is in itself an extrinsic probability. The 
intrinsic is to be found in the nature of the 
event announced, which can refer, either to 
the reign of Christ in the hearts of his people, 
(of this the pious writer speaks,) or to the lat 
ter times when difficulties will arise, which, 
though they threaten the existence of the 
Church, will not succeed; for Providence 
will then succor her in an especial manner, 
and will be present with her, when the tempest 
is most violent, and the danger most im- 
minent. 



THE BLESSED VIRGIN. 261 

CHAPTER VI. 
The Blessed Virgin as Mediatrix. 
St. Alphonsus, in his work on the glories of 
Mary, treats of this subject, and shows how ne- 
cessary the mediation of the Mother of God is. 
"To invoke," he says, "the saints, to pray to 
them, and particularly to the queen of saints, 
that we may obtain graces, is a lawful and a 
holy thing. It is an article of faith, defined 
by the Councils against the heretics, who con- 
demn this practice as injurious to our Saviour, 
our only mediator." No one denies that our 
Saviour is the mediator of justice, the recon- 
ciler of God with men. To say that God can- 
not, if it seems pleasing to him, grant his 
graces through the intercession of the saints, 
and chiefly through that of the Mother of God, 
is a manifest impiety. We profess that our 
Saviour is the mediator of justice, and that 
Mary is the mediatrix of grace. A.11 that she 
obtains for us she obtains through the merits 
of Christ, because she asks for them in his 
name. It is, however, certain, that all graces 
come through her intercession. This is ne- 
cessary, not absolutely but morally, and has its 
origin in the will of God. This opinion of St. 
Bernard is now common amongst most writers 



262 SAINTLY CHARACTEKS. 

and theologians. Natalis Alexander says, " that 
God desires we should obtain all graces 
through her intercession," and he quotes in 
proof of this the famous saying of St. Bernard, 
"It is His wish that we should obtain every 
thing through Mary." This is quite in con- 
formity with the teaching of the Church, 
which applies to the Blessed Virgin the texts 
which speak of the eternal wisdom, and 
teaches us that we must place our hopes in 
her, and find in her our every grace, our life, 
and our eternal happiness. All this shows 
the need we have of her intercession, as St. 
Bernard states : "There is need of a mediator 
between us and the Mediator. We shall find 
none more useful than Mary." This follows 
from a moral necessity, that we may increase 
our confidence, for Christ is the only media- 
tor that we have absolutely need of. St. 
Bernard states also, " if there be any hope, 
any grace, any salvation in us, we know it 
comes from her." St. Bernardine of Sienna 
writes, " No creature has obtained any grace 
from God unless through the dispensation of 
his holy Mother." St. Bonaventure states, 
" The Royal Virgin is the Mediatrix between 
us and God. He will not save you without 
her. As the child cannot live without the 



THE BLE6SED VIRGIN. 263 

nurse, so you cannot obtain salvation with- 
out our Lady." St. Ephraim says, "We 
have no confidence but in the most pure 
Virgin." St. Ildephonsus adds, "All the 
blessings which the Eternal Father decreed 
to confer on us, he resolved to give into her 
hands." St. Anton ius tells us, " He who asks 
without thee, tries to fly without wings." 
The doctrine of Grignon de Montfort, respect- 
ing the intercession of the Blessed Virgin, 
breathes the same spirit as that of the holy 
doctors, whose testimony has been cited. The 
mass for St. Hyacinth's day contains in the 
secret the teaching of the Church on this 
point. " May the Blessed Hyacinth, through 
the intercession of the most worthy Mother, 
present before thy divine Majesty the sacred 
hosts, and vouchsafe to accept those offered 
for our salvation." 

When the writer speaks of the Blessed 
Virgin, as being the most perfect way to 
unite us to our Saviour, he means by the 
power of her intercession, for the sacraments, 
which are the formal means, do not exclude 
this, as has been already shown. The Doctors 
and Fathers of the Church teach, that God 
has determined that we should have all graces 
through Mary, and the Son grants nothing 



264 SAINTLY CHARACTERS. 

but through her. All graces pass through her 
hands, and no person goes to Christ but by 
Mary. The general practice of the faithful, 
who have recourse to the intercession of Mary 
for all the graces they desire, shows that this 
pious opinion is the common faith of the 
Church. 



CHAPTER VII. 
The particular Devotion which the Author proposes. 
Grignon de Montfort does not wish that 
devotion should stop with the Blessed Virgin. 
He desires that it should lead us to honor in 
a more perfect manner her divine Son. 
"The final object of all our devotion," he 
says, " is, that we should belong to our Lord 
and Saviour, and this absolutely. I speak of 
our belonging to the Blessed Virgin only rel- 
atively." He generally makes use of the ex- 
pression, " the slave of Jesus and Mary." He 
seems constantly to behold our Saviour in the 
Blessed Virgin, both in the mystery of the 
incarnation, where he adores him as being 
really present, and also as living spiritually 
in her. The servitude of Mary, according to 
the belief of our author, is only the servitude 



THE BLESSED VIRGIN. 265 

of Jesus. For the foundation of his doctrine 
seems to consider Jesus, as living in Mary. 
The expressions, which he makes use of, 
should be understood by this principle. 

The prohibition of the holy office respect- 
ing the devotion, does not apply to that of 
our author. For the holy office has not con- 
demned the servitude of Jesus, which is 
taught in the Catechism of the Council of 
Trent, where we read " that we are the slaves 
of our Redeemer, and are belonging to him." 
The decree of the Index abolishes the confra- 
ternity, which distributed chains to its mem- 
bers, to wear on their arms or around their 
necks, as marks of their servitude to the 
Blessed Virgin, but it does not forbid the 
faithful to practise this devotion individually. 
It certainly orders every rite, and ceremony 
connected with the servitude of Mary to be 
laid aside. But this rule refers to confrater- 
nities, or societies, and not to Catholics indi- 
vidually. If, however, it be stated that this 
condemnation embraces the devotion pre- 
scribed by the writer, it will only follow 
that one of the external practices recommend- 
ed by him is prescribed, whilst the six others 
must be deemed praiseworthy. Those in- 
terior practices, which he recommends, 



266 SAINTLY CHARACTERS. 

breathe the most profound piety. No one can 
find fault with the exercise, which consists in 
doing all our actions with Mary, in Mary, 
and through Mary, in order that Jesus may 
gain more glory from it. He explains the 
advantages of this devotion in a very instruc- 
tive manner. " When you do these actions," 
he says, "through the Blessed Virgin, you 
give up your own intentions and works, to 
lose yourself as it were in those of the Mother 
of God, and thereby you become a partaker 
of her intentions, and unite yourself with all 
their sublime ends. A soul, by the practice of 
this, counts as nothing all that it does, and 
places its reliance only in the Blessed Virgin, 
in order that it may be brought near to its 
Saviour. It possesses more humility than the 
soul that rests on itself, and which trusts in its 
own good dispositions. The result of this is, 
that they give honor to God in a higher degree, 
for he is glorified only by the humble, and by 
the lowly of heart. The Blessed Virgin de- 
sires to receive into her hands this offering of 
all our actions. Thus she gives them a beauty 
and a lustre, which they would not otherwise 
have, and our Lord is more honored than if 
we offered them to him by our own guilty 
hands. 



THE VENERABLE AGNES. 267 

It would appear, on comparing these and 
other passages of the work, that they may 
be all explained by the context. The author 
does not pretend that his devotion is new; 
for he states, that a number of holy persons 
had known and practised it before his time, 
amongst others the Venerable Agnes of Jesus, 
a nun of the order of St. Dominic, whose 
virtues the Holy See had approved of as be- 
ing of the heroic order. In her life, written 
by De Lantages, the following circumstance 
is related : — " One day, when she assisted at 
mass, she went into an ecstasy, and heard 
those words, ' Give yourself as a servant to 
Mary, and she will protect you against your 
enemies.' When mass was concluded, she 
came to herself, and going before the altar, 
where there is a famous statue of the Blessed 
Virgin, she made the following prayer: — 
' Holy Virgin ! since thou vouchsafest to 
desire that I should belong to thee from this 
moment, I consecrate myself and all that I 
have to thee, and I promise to serve thee all 
my life as thy servant.' As soon as she re- 
turned home she looked for a chain of iron. 
This, Providence enabled her to find, and she 
placed it around her as a mark of her ser- 
vitude. As the Venerable Agnes was born in 



268 SAINTLY CHARACTERS. 

1603, this devotion was in existence, and was 
practised long before the time of the author. 
The condemnation of the Index does not prove, 
that it was not inspired by the Holy Ghost, 
for the prescribing of medals, confraternities, 
and iron chains, only shows that it was at- 
tended with abuses, which the Holy See did 
away with. It has been already stated, that 
the prohibition refers to societies and not to 
individuals. It forbids chains, which are 
placed on the arms and neck, not those which 
are placed around the person, as a testimony 
of servitude after the example of the Venera- 
ble Agnes. As the chief part of this devo- 
tion consists in the inward spirit, which it 
should produce, it will not be understood by 
all. Some will stop at the outward form, and 
go no farther. To some pious souls the 
Holy Ghost will make it manifest, in order 
that they may advance in virtue, and be per- 
fectly transformed into Jesus. 

Such was the answer which the postulators 
in the cause made to the revisors. The fol- 
lowing is the decree which was passed by the 
Congregation of Rites : — 

" Since some things seemed worthy of cen- 
sure in the writings of the Venerable servant 
of God, Louis Maria Grignon de Montfort, 



PK0GKESS OF THE CAUSE. 269 

from their needing further explanation, the 
cause was proposed in the ordinary meeting 
of the Congregation of Rites, held at the 
Yatican, April 4th, 1851, when it was resolv- 
ed, that the votes of the censors should be 
handed in, their names being suppressed." 

In the following year the cause was again 
proposed, when the answer was, "that it 
should be postponed, and another censor 
should be appointed." His report was made 
in 1853. "When this was read, it was deter- 
mined that there was nothing in the works 
and writings of the venerable servant of God 
to prevent the progress of the cause. It was 
again proposed May 7th, 1853, when the fol- 
lowing decision was come to: "Nothing 
hinders the proceeding further with the cause, 
the right of opposing it being granted to the 
Promoter of the Faith so far as he may deem 
it necessary." On the 12th of May Pius IX. 
approved of this decision. 



THE VENERABLE LOUIS MARY 
CHANEL. 

The Congregation of Rites, at a meeting 
held Sept. 17th, 1857, resolved, that the cause 
of this servant of God should be commenced. 
He was a priest of the order of the Marists, 
and was martyred April 28th, 1841, in the 
Island of Funtuna, in Oceanica. The Pope 
having confirmed the decree, signed the com- 
mission on the 24th of the same month. 

Louis Mary Chanel is the first martyr of 
that part of the world, and the Congregation 
of the Propaganda is charged with the pos- 
tulation of the cause. There is, indeed, much 
to edify in the consideration of this subject. 
The piety of the missionary, his zeal in preach- 
ing the faith, his constancy and courage in 
meeting a death so fearful as his, was the 
cause of the conversion of nearly all the popu- 
lation of Funtuna soon after. The sorrow 
that the people felt, when the light of faith 



FATHER CHANEL. 271 

showed them their ingratitude, and their 
guilt in murdering him, who had brought 
them the word of life, forms a spectacle 
worthy of the happiest days of the Church. 



CHAPTER I. 

Early Life of Chanel. 

Louis Mary Chanel was born in the village 
of diet, in France, in the month of June, 
1805. In his early days he was remarkable 
for the innocency of his life, and the purity of 
his morals. His piety, the sweetness of his 
temper, and the assiduity with which he pur- 
sued his studies, recommended him especially 
to his parents and to his friends. When ad- 
mitted to holy orders, he became an example 
of zeal and piety to all, in so much so that 
those, who knew him, could find nothing to rep- 
rehend in him. Charity, faith, modesty, and 
an angelical purity, were so eminently pos- 
sessed by him, that the Bishop promoted him 
to some of the most important posts in the 
diocese. He first discharged the duties of 
vicar, afterwards he was made parish priest, 
he was then promoted to the college, and 
finally placed over the seminary. In these 



272 SAINTLY CHARACTERS. 

different offices he managed to gain the affec- 
tion, and the esteem of all with whom he was 
connected. His life was a model of priestly 
virtue, of tender piety, of a zeal, eager for the 
salvation of souls, and of an unalterable 
kindness of disposition. 

But God called him to higher honors. 
When he was 33 years old, he joined the 
society of Marists. The Holy See had in- 
trusted to them the missions of Oceanica. In 
1836 he left the shores of France, never to 
return again, as Vicar-General to Bishop Pom- 
palier. The voyage to the distant scene of 
his labors occupied ten months. The little 
band of missionaries were distributed in the 
different places assigned to them. The Islaud 
of Funtuna fell to his lot. There he was to 
sow the seed, a layman, named Xizier, being 
his only companion. He was ignorant of the 
language of the country, and found a Protes- 
tant, named Thomas, who acted as interpreter. 
He soon became a Catholic under the instruc- 
tions of the pious missionary. He was well 
received by NiuliM, the king of the island, 
who entertained him, and lodged him in his 
own house. He spent two years there learn- 
ing the language. From time to time he 
made circuits through the island to baptize 



THE KING. 273 

any children, whom he might find dying. He 
visited some of his brethren on their distant 
missions, to refresh his mind by their con- 
versation, and mutual intercourse. When he 
became sufficiently acquainted with the lan- 
guage of the country, he held frequent con- 
ferences with his host, in which he urged 
him to become a Christian. But Niuliki was 
both " king and priest," and began to suspect 
Father Chanel, and to interpret his conversa- 
tion in a bad sense, when he turned his atten- 
tion to others, and commenced explaining to 
them the doctrines and the practices of the 
Church. The king perceiving the inhabitants 
giving up their superstitions, and his authority 
over them diminishing, changes his affection 
for the servant of God into hostility. He 
leaves his present place of abode and selects 
another village as his residence. He lessens 
the quantity of food which he usually sent the 
missionary, and soon leaves him altogether 
destitute. 

Father Chanel is nowise discouraged by 
this treatment. He resolves to cultivate the 
ground, and to obtain the necessary means of 
existence for himself. The inhabitants, how- 
ever, frustrate his endeavors, and tear up all 
the fruits he had planted, hoping that by 



274 SAINTLY CHARACTERS. 

this means they would banish him from the 
island. 

The charity of the pious missionary burns 
more brightly, and he resolves to return good 
for evil. He visits the king and the inhabit- 
ants oftener, and preaches with such earnest- 
ness, that many of the young men are con- 
verted to the faith. During the year 1840, 
on every Sunday, they assemble in his house, 
to hear the word of God, and join in prayer. 
The enemies of Christianity endeavor by 
threats to deter him from prosecuting his good 
work, and they maltreat the young men who 
supply him with food. He bears all this with 
patience, and is not moved by the messages 
which are sent to him. He seeks the conver- 
sion of his persecutors by prayers, and by acts 
of self-denial. So holy is his life, that they 
can find nothing in it worthy of censure. 
He is constant in his prayers, and in his de- 
votion to the Blessed Sacrament, and to the 
Mother of God. He w T as so kind, and so affa- 
ble, that all said he was one, who possessed 
the best dispositions. 

In the mean time, Niuliki complained bit- 
terly of the good man to Musumusu, his rela- 
tion, and minister of state. He, in order to 
please the king, and to gratify his own hostili- 



THE MINISTER OF STATE. 275 

ty to the Christian religion, promised that he 
would have Father Chanel put to death. The 
king listened to his evil counsel. Their anger 
and their rage were increased when they find 
that lleitala, the son of the king, is amongst 
the catechumens receiving instruction. Niu- 
Mki, forgetful of a father's feelings, ordered 
his son to be put to death. This, however, 
was not carried into effect, but all the neo- 
phytes are doomed to destruction, and Father 
Chanel is to meet a similar fate. The men of 
the island are seized with an insane fury, 
to destroy the dwellings of the faithful, and to 
kill them. When they have accomplished 
this, they then surround the pious missionary, 
who is by himself in his house. Musumusu, 
their leader, had been wounded in his face, 
and he goes up to him, and beseeches him to 
heal it. Whilst he endeavors to effect this, 
the attendants of Musumusu attack the ser, 
vant of God, and kill him, beating him with 
clubs, and piercing him with their spears. 
Then, as they suppose him to be dead, they 
begin to plunder the house. He lies forsaken 
by all, in the blood, which flowed from his 
wounds. He sees a person approaching him, 
and tells him of his great joy in being per- 
mitted to die such a happy death. When 



276 SAINTLY CHARACTERS. 

Musumusu enters the house, he finds him still 
lying in the same state, and seizing an axe 
attacks him with it, and cuts his head open. 
Thus the holy Father Chanel pours forth his 
life blood in testimony of the doctrine which 
he preached, and wins for himself the crown 
of martyrdom, and eternal happiness. 

The many miracles, which took place after 
his death, are worthy of record. Not only did 
the commiseration of the pious women obtain 
for him all outward honors in procuring him a 
noble burial, but God himself seemed to join 
in this. For, when they are committing him 
to his resting place, though the sky is quite 
clear, and the day serene, fearful thunder is 
heard as if to tell the islanders of the sins they 
had committed in slaying the pious mission- 
ary. Nor did the wonders cease here. " The 
blood of the martyr is the seed from which 
Christians spring." The new converts are in 
nowise terrified at his death. They preach 
the faith more boldly. The entire population 
of the island are converted almost instan- 
taneously. When Bishop Pompalier five 
months after his death comes to Funtuna, on 
his way from Wallis to New Zealand, he finds 
all the people professing the Catholic faith. 

The king and those who were immediately 



THE MINISTER OF STATE. 277 

connected with the murder of Father Chanel, 
died sudden deaths. Musitmusu, the minister 
of the king, and the chief perpetrator of the 
crime, is preserved as an example of divine 
justice and mercy. After the death of Father 
Chanel he was converted, and in a short time 
afterwards he went to Wallis, where he was 
afflicted with a severe disease, and received 
baptism. He assumed the name of Maurice, 
and returned again to Funtuna, and gave his 
testimony respecting the martyrdom of Father 
Chanel. About two years after this, he was 
again attacked with a severe illness, and with 
tears, and penances he bewailed his crime. 
When he perceived tiiat his strength was 
failing him, and that the hour of his death 
was at hand, he gave orders to be carried 
where Father Chanel had been martyred. As 
soon as he arrived there, he rejoiced to think 
that he might be allowed to die in the very 
place that he had committed so fearful a 
crime, and with deep signs of contrition he 
yielded up his spirit to God. This circum- 
stance produced a wonderful effect on all 
who were permitted to behold it. 

Tile inhabitants of Funtuna were much 
affected by those marks of the divine inter* 
position, and they built a Church over the 



278 SAINTLY CHARACTERS. 

tomb of the martyr. They also erected a 
monument, commemorating the virtues, and 
the benevolence of the holy man. 

Thus it appears, that, though the inhabit- 
ants of the island loved Father Chanel for his 
kind disposition and for the many good quali- 
ties he possessed, they put him to death in 
consequence of his preaching the Catholic re- 
ligion. So great was their hostility towards 
it. 



CHAPTER II. 

Letters connected with the Mission and Martyrdom of 
Father Chanel. 

On April 27th, 1857, the Holy Father con- 
sented, that the cause should be committed 
to the consideration of the Congregation of 
Rites, after the vote of the Promoter of the 
Faith had been heard respecting the entire 
matter. 

The following is the letter, which the Chris- 
tians of Funtuna addressed to the Catholics 
of Europe respecting it : 

"This letter, which we address to our 
brethren in Europe, is a pledge of our friend- 
ship, and of the esteem in which we hold 
them. We congratulate you in having always 



LETTER OF THE NATIVE CHRISTIANS. 279 

known the true God. We return thanks to 
our Saviour, who put it into your hearts to 
send those good men to us, who converted us 
to the true faith. Before our baptism we 
were very unfortunate, and had always been 
a prey to those, who were the strongest, and 
the mightiest amongst us. Now we are happy, 
and only think how we may benefit those 
around, and show them how we love them. 
You have conferred these blessings upon us 
by sending us the priests of the true God. 
"We know you love us with the same love, that 
we have for you. Charity alone reigns in our 
hearts, for this is the new life, that has sprung 
up in them. Such is the will of God, who is 
desirous, that we should live after this manner. 
As 3 r ou are his beloved people, we trust you 
will think of us in your prayers. How we 
desire to behold you ; but this seems im- 
possible, for you live in Europe, and we in 
Oceanica. However, we shall see you in 
heaven. Every day we pray for you ; our 
constant petitions are offered up for you, and 
we are sure that God will hear us, for he is 
both good and true. 

" We wish to acquaint you with our grief, 
and soi row fur the crime we have committed 
in putting the good Father Chanel to death. 



280 SAINTLY CHARACTEKS. 

He was the first person who came to us with 
the commandments of God. Our hearts were 
wicked, our hands were cruel, and our disposi- 
tions were bad, and we made him suffer much. 
It was natural that some young persons should 
love him, he was so kind, and so good. We 
speak truly when we say, our shame is great, 
for we maltreated those young men, who 
brought him food, as we were anxious that 
he should die of hunger. However, he never 
complained of this, but we were as blind men 
who saw nothing, so great was our wicked- 
ness. The good Father prayed for us, and 
bewailed our iniquities. Our sorrow, and our 
confusion is great for having shed his blood. 
He loved us, and prayed for us, in consequence 
of this we are Christians. He was our father 
in the faith, and asked pardon for us, who 
were his murderers. We desire that you 
should know the greatness of our penance. 

" We again return thanks to the Father of 
us all for sending us both priests, and bishops. 
Our heart is filled with love towards the 
Yicar of Jesus Christ ; we throw ourselves at 
his feet, and implore his blessing. 

" There are around us isles on which the 
light of truth has not yet shone. We pray the 
Mother of God, in whose womb our Saviour 



LETTER OF THE NATIVE CHRISTIANS. 281 

took flesh, to have pity upon those who are 
in the hands of the devil. Our priests tell us, 
that the Blessed Virgin is both good, and all- 
powerful. Father Chanel told us so, and we 
know that it is true. Let us beseech her, and 
she will send us priests, and then all, both in 
Europe and in Oceanica, will love her divine 
Son. 

" We are not yet able to pray as we ought, 
and we know not how to love God, as it be- 
comes us. Will you pray to God to give us 
a right heart, and we shall follow you to 
heaven. This is our only desire, our only 
hope ; for it is dear to our hearts." 

The following testimonies have been col- 
lected respecting the early lite of Father 
Chanel. 

His relations, his superiors, his fellow-dis- 
ciples, and his friends, have testified, both by 
word of mouth and by writing, that his youth 
was spent in the practice of Christian virtues. 
All admired his piety, his amiability, his 
application to his studies, and especially 
hie almost angelical purity of manners. The 
Archbishop of Avignon stated, that his piety 
and his martyrdom would one day place him 
on our altars. 

The Bishop of Bel ley testifies, that in the 



282 SAINTLY CHARACTERS. 

different positions, which he held in his dio- 
cese, that he gained the esteem of all with 
whom he had any connection, that his life 
was a model of every sacerdotal virtue, and 
that he was endowed with piety, with zeal 
for the salvation of souls, and an unalterable 
sweetness of character. 

The Bishop of Gap expresses his delight at 
hearing that his life was about to be pub- 
lished. " I knew," he says, " in the bonds of 
friendship this good man, who indeed pos- 
sessed a heart of gold, a lively faith, and an 
angelical holiness of life. I saw him as the 
humble priest of the mountains, and then as a 
member of the Marist Society. I beheld him 
as professor, spiritual director, and afterwards 
as superior of the Seminary of Bel ley. A 
little later, I followed him in his missionary la- 
bors beyond the ocean, where he toiled with 
the same modesty and humble heart that lie 
ever possessed, and performed the greatest 
sacrifices with all simplicity, as if they were 
the most ordinary actions. 

In the year 1845, Louis Servant, the Apos- 
tolic prefect of the missions of Funtuna, aided 
by the Catechists, proceeded to examine into 
the circumstances connected with the martyr- 
dom of Father Chanel. He was able to col- 



HIS MARTYRDOM. 283 

lect from different sources the following facts 
respecting it. All agreed, that, previous to 
the death of the good man, the inhabitants of 
the Eastern part of the island were so attached 
to their pagan rites, that they resolved to pre- 
vent the progress of the new religion. Their 
hostility showed itself when the king's son be- 
came a convert to Christianity, a few weeks 
before the death of Father Chanel. The king 
perceiving that the number of catechumens 
increased, held a council, in which it was de- 
cided that Father Chanel should go and reside 
at Thamancb) where the king then lived. For 
he hoped, that when the missionary was 
dwelling near him the neophytes and cate- 
chumens, dreading his anger, would cease to 
hold communication with him. 

After the council broke up, the king said 
to his minister, u that these white savages 
would unite together to make them all slaves." 
To this Musumusu, the prime minister, re- 
plied : " If you dislike these white men, take 
possession of their effects, and I shall have 
them all put to death." To this the king 
made no answer, but his wishes were well 
known to all his attendants. Neither of them 
at this time knew that Meitala, the king's 
son, had become a convert to Christianity, for 



284 SAINTLY CHARACTERS. 

Father Chanel had taken care that it should 
not be rumored abroad. 

When Micsumusu returned to the village 
where he lived, he heard of Meitala being 
amongst the number of the catechumens. 
He acquainted the king with it, who sent 
for his son, and endeavored by threats and 
menaces to make him give up the Christian 
religion. But the son refused to do so, not- 
withstanding the displeasure which the king 
manifested. 

On April 27th, 1841, another council 
is held at Amalfi, a small island dependent 
on Funtuna. A great number of old men, 
and some young persons, assisted at it. They 
resolved to declare war against the catechu- 
mens, and on that evening they went to Avaui, 
the place where they usually assembled. 
Four persons go to acquaint Musumusu with 
the decision that had been come to with re- 
spect to the converts. He tells them, that if 
they would go with him, they would put 
Father Chanel to death, when they had put 
the catechumens to flight. 

On the following day, a large number of 
men, armed with lances and hatchets, under 
the guidance of Musumusu, go to Avaui to 
make an assault on the Christians. They kill 



HIS MARTYRDOM. 285 

a great many of them, and then proceed to 
the residence of the missionary. They h'nd 
him in the garden at the rear of the house, 
without any person with him. When he sees 
Jfusumusu, he asks him " what he desires." 
To this the minister replies, " that having re- 
ceived a wound in his nose, he would feel 
obliged to him if he would heal it." Father 
Chanel goes into the house to obtain some 
remedy for it. Two of the assassins had al- 
ready preceded him. He meets them as 
soon as he enters, and after speaking to them, 
they, urged on by those outside, strike him on 
the head with a club. He puts up his arm 
to defend himself, and falls back two or three 
steps. He receives another blow on the 
temple, and is soon covered with his own 
blood. The servant of God preserves the 
same equanimity of temper, and only says, 
" very good," expressive of his joy at thus be- 
ing permitted to drink of the chalice which 
his Master had drank of. They then pierced 
him with their lances, and leave him, suppos- 
ing he is dead, to go and pillage the house. 
They carry away the little property which he 
had. To some, who were passing by the 
place where he lay, the holy man said, "My 
death is a great blessing for me." Miisumusu 



286 SAINTLY CHARACTERS. 

hearing his voice, asks, " why have they not 
killed him V He seizes a hatchet, which be- 
longed to the missionary, and going up to 
him, strikes him with it on the head, dividing 
the skull in two. Thus the servant of God 
finished his career on earth. Three females, 
who chanced to live near, take the body all 
covered with blood, wash it, and wrap it 
in some linens which they had. About noon, 
a trench is dug a few paces from the spot 
where the body lay, and it is consigned to its 
resting-place. All who were present testify, 
that at the moment the remains of Father 
Chanel were placed in the grave, though the 
sky was quite clear, and there was no appear- 
ance of clouds, a great noise like the report 
of cannon is heard, and all the inhabitants 
of the island were surprised at the circum- 
stance. Bishop Bataillon, the Vicar Apos- 
tolic of Central Oceanica, adds, that in 1847 
he again examined all the witnesses, and that 
they made statements similar to what they had 
given in 1845. 



LETTER OF BISHOP BATATLLON. 287 

CHAPTER III. 

Letter of Bishop Bataillon respecting Father Chanel. — 
Letter of Cardinal Barnabo, Prefect of the Pro- 
paganda^ requesting Ms Canonization. 

In 1836, the Holy See approved of the 
Marist Congregation, and entrusted to their 
care the missions in Western Oceanica. On 
the 24th of September, in the same year, 
Father Chanel and myself made our vows 
before the Superior General of the society, 
and quitted France on December 24th for 
the scene of our future labors, in company 
with Bishop Pompalier. On November 
7th, 1837, the Bishop sent me to Wallis, 
and Father Chanel to Funtuna. We had 
now lived thirteen months together, and dur- 
ing that time the conduct of the good man 
was free from all reproach. I never met any 
person who had a more gentle disposition, or 
w r as more modest, or more candid. Though 
he did not want prudence, he was most re- 
markable for the simplicity of the dove. 
Brother Nizier, and an English Protestant 
named Thomas, whom we brought with us 
from a neighboring island as interpreter, were 
left with him. Thomas soon became a Catholic 
under the instruction of Father Chanel. The 



288 SAINTLY CHARACTERS. 

missionary was received most kindly by the 
king, who kept him to live near him, calling 
him his white man. 

On March 28th, in the following year, 
Father Chanel, having stayed five months 
at Wallis, came to see me. He spent a 
month with me, when he returned to his 
mission. 

In the May of 1839, I arrived at Funtuna* 
where I passed nearly two months with him, 
and returned to Wallis in July. 

In the year 18-10, Father Chevron, ac- 
companied by a lay brother, arrived from 
New Zealand, and went to Funtuna, where 
they remained to the end of the year. 
Father Chanel sent them to me at my request, 
to assist in instructing the inhabitants of the 
island of Wallis, who were nearly all con- 
verted. 

In May, 1841, Brother Nizier and Thomas 
arrived at Wallis. They were accompanied 
by two other persons, who had fled from the 
island, when Father Chanel was massacred. 

The missionary life of the servant of God 
consisted of 3 years, 5 months, and 20 days. 
From his journal, and from the testimony of 
those persons, I gleaned the following facts 
respecting the mission : 



ISLAND OF FUNTUNA. 289 

Funtuna is an island with a population of 
about 1,000 persons, consisting of two distinct 
tribes, who haye always been opposed to each 
other. Father Chanel was received by the 
chief of the most powerful tribe, who gave 
him all the food and necessaries he required. 
During the first two years the missionary was 
engaged in learning the language of the 
country, and in baptizing the children who 
were near death. As long as he was un- 
acquainted with the language, and conse- 
quently could not preach, he lived on good 
terms with the king. In 1839, Father Chanel 
commenced preaching, and then all kindly 
feeling between them ceased. He endeavor- 
ed to convert the king, but without any suc- 
cess. For he, being both king and priest, 
was anxious to keep the religion of the island 
free from any assaults that might be made on 
it, as he ascribed all his power to its preserva- 
tion. As soon as he perceived the influence 
which the words of the missionary had with 
those around, he wished to break off all con- 
nection with him. The king went to live in 
another village, and refused to send him the 
usual supplies of food. Father Chanel en- 
deavored, by cultivating the land, to obtain 
what would support himself, and those who 



290 SAINTLY CHARACTERS. 

were with him. But the fruit of his labors 
was soon destroyed by the inhabitants, who 
hoped to be able to banish him from the isl- 
and. The faithful man prosecuted his work 
without ceasing, and though he did not con- 
vert the king, or the chiefs of the island, many 
young persons attended to what he said, and 
were wont to assemble on every Sunday in 
the house of the missionary, where they re- 
ceived instructions and joined in prayers. 
This increased the indignation of the king 
against him, and many reports, respecting 
their intention to put him to death, reached 
his ears. This, however, moved him not. 
One day, there wae a great meeting in the 
village. His companions told him that there 
was a discission respecting the propriety of 
killing him. To this he replied: "You re- 
member what we read in the life of a saint, 
who was asked what he would do if he were 
told that they were going to make a martyr 
of him in an hour's time? " His reply was : 
" I shall continue to do what I am doing 
now." "Let us," said Father Chanel, "do 
the same." And he proceeded to cultivate 
his garden, this being the work in which he 
was engaged. 

The danger passed by for this time, but the 



HIS COMPANIONS. 291 

enemies of religion retained their hostility to- 
wards him, which reached its highest point 
when his death was planned, and accomplished 
in the manner already related in the deposi- 
tions which Louis Servant, the prefect of the 
mission, collected respecting it. His two 
companions dared not enter the village, and 
they placed themselves under the protection 
of the neighboring tribe. After spending 
fifteen days in anxiety and trouble, they saw 
a vessel approaching the coast, on board of 
which they took refuge, and embarked for the 
island of Wallis, where they arrived in safety. 
I wrote to Bishop Pompalier, and informed 
him of what had happened at Fantuna. He 
immediately set out for Wallis, in a vessel 
belonging to the mission, accompanied by 
a French frigate. • lie stayed to perform 
some religions ceremonies, as now the entire 
island was become Christian. He returned 
to New Zealand, resolving to visit Funtuna 
on his way. He took with him one of the chiefs, 
who had become a Christian at Wallis, with 
some catechumens, hoping to convert the isl- 
and, which had been watered, by the blood 
of its first missionary. When they arrived at 
Fimbxma^ the commander of the frigate got 
one of the chiefs to come on board the vessel. 



292 SAINTLY CHARACTERS. 

He came freely, as he had not been engaged 
in the massacre of the missionary. The chief 
told him, that JViulki, the king, was the per- 
son who had excited the people to murder 
Father Chanel. The captain wished to 
avenge his death, but the Bishop interceded 
for the islanders, and they were spared on 
condition that they would bring his body on 
board, and also any of his effects that could 
be found. This request was soon complied 
with, and amongst other things they brought 
the hatchet with which he had been murder- 
ed. His body now rests in the house of the 
Marists at Lyons, and the hatchet is kept in 
the Museum of the Propagation of the Faith. 
The catechists, who were left at Funtuna, 
began to preach, and all the inhabitants of 
the island were converted, almost instan- 
taneously. Five months after this, Bishop 
Pompalier once more visited the island, and 
he found all had become Christians. He 
baptized several persons, and left there two 
priests, and Brother rNizier to finish the work, 
and baptize the entire population. A church 
was built over the tomb of Father Chanel. 
A cross marks the place where he was buried. 
Around this the neophytes hang flowers, 
which they renew every Sunday. Musumusu 



BISHOP BA.TAILLON. 293 

afterwards visited AY all is. He became dan- 
gerously ill. and I baptized him, giving him 
the name of Maurice. He afterwards returned 
to Funt una. 

On December 3d I was consecrated 
Bishop at Wallis, and received charge of 
Central Oceanica, which was erected into a 
Vicariate by the Holy See. In the month of 
May, lS-Jri, I commenced my visitation, be- 
ginning at Funtuna. When I arrived there, 
my first care was to kneel at the tomb of the 
holy man, who had been my early companion. 
I had his grave opened, and found there 
some parts of his bones, and his hair, and other 
relics. These I put into a wooden box, which 
I carefully sealed, and deposited in a safe 
place. I replaced the cross, which still con- 
tinues to be crowned with flowers every Sun- 
day. I made inquiries amongst those who 
had been witnesses of the martyrdom, and 
found that their testimony agreed with what 
I had already heard respecting the matter. 
Not being able tospend more time at Funtuna, 
I left Father Servant to collect all the evidence 
he could, respecting the murder of the holy 
man. In the year 1847 Musumiixu died, with 
every sign of real penance for the sin he had 
committed. I visited the island several 



29i SAIXTLY CHARACTERS. 

times since, spending there altogether about 
a year and a half. During this time I had 
an opportunity of conversing with the natives, 
and instructing them. I also learned every 
thing respecting my beloved fellow-laborer, 
and have thus been enabled to speak with 
certainty about every particular. I had the 
church rebuilt, so as to contain within it both 
the tomb, and the place where Father Chanel 
was martyred. I caused an inscription to be 
made, which would point out both of them. 
The lance, the club, and his soutan all cover- 
ed with blood, I left in the sacristy. On the 
following Sunday I made the usual inquiries, 
in a judicial form, and found that every thing 
agreed with what has been already stated. 
The blood of the martyr has truly been the 
seed of Christians. 

t P. Bataillox, Bishop of Enos, 
Vicar Apostolic of Central Oceanica. 

Rome, 8th of April, 1857. 



Letter of Cardinal Barnabo, Prefect of the 
Propaganda. 

Most Holy Father \ — As Gregory XVI. , 
your illustrious predecessor, permitted the in- 
troduction of the cause of those who were mar- 



LETTER OF CARDINAL BARNABO. 295 

tyred in China, and also more recently the cause 
of those, who were put to death in Cochin 
China, obtained the like favor, I venture to 
ask most humbly that, through your zeal for 
the Church, and of your goodness, you would 
not deny the like grace to the cause of Father 
Chanel, who has been martyred in Oceanica. 
You will not suppose that these petitions are 
unworthily presented to your judgment, 
which is enlightened by the Holy Spirit, 
when I state that it is my duty, in conse- 
quence of the office you have conferred on 
me, to do all in my power to advance the 
cause of this holy man. It will be both an 
ornament to religion and confer much benefit 
upon it. Therefore, in order that such a light 
may not be hid, but may be placed upon a 
candlestick, so that all may behold it, I 
again most earnestly implore Your Holiness, 
that from that supreme seat, whence infallible 
responses proceed, you would sign the com- 
mission for the introduction of the cause. 
Should you deign to do so, not only will your 
fame be greatly increased, but you will give joy 
to those suffering missions, you will gladden 
the Church of Christ, and you will confer 
new favors on one who owes so much to you 
already. In the mean time, I throw myself af 



296 SAINTLY CHARACTERS. 

your feet, and implore the apostolical bene 
diction. 

Alexander Barnabo, Cardinal Prefect. 

Rome, May 6, 1857. 



CHAPTER IV. 

Relation of the Promoter of the Faith. — Decree respect- 
ing the beatification of Father Chanel. 

Our holy religion, writes the Promoter of 
the Faith, is indeed the work of God. The 
manner in which it lias been received, 
established, and propagated, are proofs of 
this. Wherever the Gospel is preached, the 
prince of darkness, seeing that his kingdom 
is about to be taken from him, stirs up hatred 
and persecution against the apostles of 
Christianity. Sufferings are . also in reserve 
for those who embrace the faith. Notwith- 
standing all this, we behold every day holy 
men leaving their homes, .and going to preach 
to infidels the faith of Christ. It is also 
worthy of remark, that this warfare, which 
the powers of hell wage, is directed against 
the preachers of the Catholic religion, because 
it is the only true one. The blood of martyrs 
is the seed of Christians, and it seems that the 
faith expands in proportion with the number 
of victims, that are offered up. 

What has happened in every age of the 



RELATION OF THE PROMOTER. 297 

Church has once more taken place in Ocean- 
ica, in the case of Father Chanel, the first 
who preached the Gospel in the island of Fun- 
tuna. Your Eminences know from the pre- 
ceding documents what was the cause, and 
the nature of his death. It is useless for me 
to refer to these. The duty which has been 
imposed on me by order of his Holiness, con- 
sists in stating with impartiality my opinion, 
respecting the request made by Bishop Ba- 
taillon and by the propaganda, who are de- 
sirous to obtain the signing of a commission 
to proceed with the canonization of Father 
Chanel. In this case there appears to be no 
obstacle. The proofs, with respect to the 
martyrdom and the martyr himself, had 
they been made and collected by order 
of the Holy See, would have been sufficient 
for the formal decree. It will be necessary 
to have the writings of Father Chanel, that 
they may be submitted to examination, 
especially the journal of which the Bishop 
speaks. It must be remarked, that a church 
has been erected over the tomb of the mar- 
tyr, and the faithful ornament with flowers 
the cross, which has been placed there. 
Though this has the appearance of veneration 
being offered to him, it can be explained by 



298 SAINTLY CHARACTERS. 

the character of the people, and by the love 
they have for him, from whom they heard 
the first tidings of the faith. It, however, 
will be well to write to the Apostolic Vicar 
to remove all sign of this, with prudence. 
Should it please the Holy Father to sign the 
decree for the commission, on the reading of 
it, the people can be told to abstain from all 
external acts of devotion until he be canon- 
ized. 

At Funtuna the blood of the martyr has 
been the seed of Christianity, for the Bishop 
tells us of the numbers, that have been con- 
verted immediately after the death of Father 
Chanel, and amongst them the leader of the 
band, who slew the holy man with his own 
hand. Thus was it with the assassin of Peter 
Martyr, Carino, who, when he was converted, 
desired to enter the order of St. Dominic, to 
replace him whom he had killed. He lived in 
so exemplary a manner, that they looked upon 
him as a saint. In this case the murderer of 
the holy man, having lived the life of the just, 
desired to die in his dwelling, hoping that 
under his protection he might go to heaven. 

The following is the decree made in the 
cause : " God, who is rich in mercy through 
his exceeding charity, with which he loved 



DECREE IN THE CAUSE. 299 

us, that he might show in the ages to come 
the abundant riches of his grace, in goodness 
upon us in Christ Jesus," seems to have per- 
mitted our age to behold, what our fathers de- 
sired to see, that there should be no corner of 
the earth or no distant region, where the 
sound of the Gospel should not be heard ; 
for the ministers of the word of God so dis- 
charge the trust committed to them by him, 
who rules from sea to sea, and from the river 
unto the ends of the earth ; and so manifest 
that zeal and holy love, w T ith which our 
Saviour filled his apostles, when, as he was 
about to ascend to his Father, he told them 
that they would be " witnesses unto him in 
Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and 
even to the uttermost part of the earth." In 
a country which is far distant, and hot known 
to our fathers, the errors of darkness reigned, 
for no messengers of the heavenly word had 
gone there, nor was it watered by their blood. 
A few years ago it was visited by Louis Mary 
Chanel, a priest belonging to the Marist Con- 
gregation, that he might spread the light of 
the Gospel amongst its inhabitants. His life, 
however, was taken away, in consequence of 
their hatred for the faith which he preached. 
So plentiful were the fruits that resulted from 



SOO SAINTLY CHARACTERS. 

his death, that in a short time the entire island 
oiFuntuna, where he was martyred, embraced 
the Christian faith, bewailed the crime which 
it had committed, and bore testimony to 
the holy life of the man they had put to death. 
Wherefore the Eight Be v. Peter Bataillon, 
Vicar Apostolic of this district, desiring to 
introduce his cause before the Congregation 
of Kites, has supplicated his Holiness Pins 
IX. that, in consequence of the peculiar cir- 
cumstances of the country, he would be 
pleased to commit the entire matter to a 
special meeting of the Congregation of Rites, 
and also to consider as authentic those docu- 
ments, which have been presented by the 
Vicar Apostolic. To this the Holy Father 
assented on April 27th, and intrusted 
the cause to the Congregation, who were 
engaged about the martyrs of Tonquin and 
Cochin China. In this assembly the follow- 
ing question was proposed : Is the commission 
to be signed for the introduction of the cause 
of the servant of God ? It was decided that 
it should be signed, if it pleased his Holiness, 
September 17th, 1857. 

On the 24th of the same month the Holy 
Father signed the commission, and the cause 
was introduced. 



MARTYRS OF COREA,TONQUIN, COCHIN 
CHINA, AND CHINA. 

The special congregation, which had treat- 
ed of the cause of the martyr of Oceanica, 
examined at the same time the cause of sev- 
eral who had suffered martyrdom in the mis- 
sions of Corea, Tonquin, Cochin China, and 
China. In accordance with the general rules, 
the causes of canonization are never intro- 
duced and signed, unless after the ordinary has 
instituted a regular process, respecting the 
sanctity, and miracles. But these rules can- 
not be observed in the cause of martyrs, who 
have suffered in distant missions, and the 
Holy See has usually granted a dispensation 
from them. 

In 1840 Gregory XVI. signed the commis- 
sion respecting the cause of many servants of 
God, who were martyred in China, and in the 



302 SAINTLY CHARACTERS. 

neighboring countries. Mgr. Prince Hohen- 
lolie, Almoner of his Holiness, as representa- 
tive of the College of Foreign Missions in 
Borne, was constituted postulate* in the cause. 
In the years 1856 and 1857, the Holy Father 
gave the necessary permission to treat the 
cause in the Congregation of Kites. The pre- 
paratory inquiries had been scarcely conclud- 
ed, when the Congregation of the Propaganda 
received intelligence of the martyrdom ot 
Father Augustus Chapdelaine, Vicar Apos- 
tolic of the province of Canton, who was put to 
death for the faith in February, 1856, with 
two of his companions. On March 2d, 
185T Pius IX. permitted his cause to be con- 
sidered with the others, which had already 
been proceeded with. 



CHAPTER I. 
An Account of the Martyrs of Corea. 
The inhabitants of Corea had been for 
many centuries addicted to the worship of 
idols. About 1720 the light of the Gospel 
penetrated these regions, and the Catholic re- 
ligion was embraced by most of the inhabit- 
ants. The first opportunity of introducing 



INTRODUCTION OF CHRISTIANITY. 303 

Christianity was afforded by an ambassador, 
who had been sent to the Emperor of China, 
and brought home with him some works on 
religion, which he had received from the 
missionaries. These books, some time after- 
wards, came into the hands of a man named 
Hung, who was so much delighted with the 
doctrines contained in them, that he renounced 
paganism. He requested the new ambassador, 
who was going to China, to obtain more in- 
formation respecting Christianity, and to let 
him know how he could become best 
acquainted with it. The new ambassador at- 
tended to the instructions of his friend, and 
after a few conferences with the Chinese mis- 
sionary, Gulstan, he embraced the Catholic 
religion, and returned home, bringing with 
him a great many books to distribute amongst 
his countrymen. Nor was the divine assist- 
ance withheld from him. For after laboring 
assiduously for a few years, he was able to 
gather together a large number, who formed 
the first-fruits of the Church in the peninsula 
of Con 'a. 

A great many gave up the worship of 
idols, and joined the new religion. This ex 
cited the hostility of the enemies of Chris- 
tianity, who endeavored to banish it from the 



3(M SAINTLY CHARACTERS. 

country ; but this they were not able to effect. 
The seed had taken deep root in the hearts of 
those faithful men, who were left almost to 
themselves. During fifty years they had been 
visited only by two priests ; nevertheless, they 
firmly opposed the efforts of their cruel ty- 
rants. 

The result was, that those who boasted 
that they had banished Christianity from the 
island by slaying eighty martyrs, only ex- 
tended the boundaries of the Church by their 
cruelties. At the time of the first persecu- 
tion, the number of Catholics was only about 
one hundred. When Fathers Maubant, Chas- 
tan, and Imbert visited the place in 1833, 
they had increased to four thousand. In 1839, 
a great persecution raged in the country ; but 
before describing this, it will be well to give 
a short account of those holy men. 

Peter Maubant was born in France, and 
was highly esteemed for his modesty, and for 
his humility. He went to China, where he 
joined Mgr. Bruguiere, the first Bishop of 
Corea, and proceeded with him to that coun- 
try. The Bishop died the day before he ar- 
rived in his diocese. Father Maubant, in the 
year 1833, did all in his power to strengthen 
the faith of the people, and to increase their 



FATHER MAUBANT. 305 

attachment to the Christian religion. As soon 
as he had arranged several matters, which re- 
quired his attention, he proceeded on foot to 
visit the different parts of the country. He 
suffered so much in his journey, that he was 
near dying from hunger, and cold. Wherever 
he went, he did all he could for the souls of 
the people. He instructed all, who required 
it, in the first principles of religion, and con- 
firmed others in the faith. Great results at- 
tended his missionary labors. 

In the year 1836, James Honoratus Chas- 
tan joined him in his good work. He was 
educated at the Seminary of Foreign Missions, 
in Paris. Such was his piety, and his holiness 
of life, that all who came to him went away 
filled with heavenly charity. Having trav- 
elled through the Chinese empire, he at length 
went to Corea. His missionary labors show 
his charity, and his love for his Divine Master. 

A third laborer followed those holy men in 
a short time. His name was Laurence Im- 
bert ; he was born in Narbonne in 1795. 
When he was only eight years old, he heard 
his parents saying, that many nations would 
be condemned to the punishment of hell for 
want of priests. This so moved him that he 
exclaimed, " One day I shall go in search of 



306 SAINTLY CHARACTERS. 

these people, and shall preach to them, that I 
may save their souls from hell." Nor did his 
zeal die away, when he grew up to man's es- 
tate. As soon as he had finished his studies, 
and was ordained priest, he gave himself up 
to the conversion of the heathen. 

When he was twenty-five years old, he 
sailed for China ; but many circumstances 
prevented his arriving there, as quickly as he 
desired. When he reached that country, he 
devoted himself to the advancement of the 
Church, and spared no labor in doing every 
thing that was calculated to increase the faith. 
After twelve years he was promoted to the 
Episcopate, and proceeded to the capital of 
Corea — the scene of his future labors. There 
he lived the life of a pious, and holy man. He 
abstained from food three times a week, and 
spent those days in prayer. So constant was 
he in the administration of the sacraments, 
and in the preaching of the word, that all 
were deeply attached to him. 

These three faithful missionaries -so zeal- 
ously cultivated the vineyard of Christ, that 
great fruits resulted from their labors. Those 
that had fallen away were restored to the faith 
— the lukewarm were stirred up to the per- 
formance of their duties, and many heathens 



RESULT OF THEIR LABORS. 307 

were baptized. In 1836, the Christians in 
Corea numbered four thousand ; and in 1839 
they had increased to ten thousand. 

Whilst God was thus blessing the labors 
of his faithful servants, a fearful persecution 
arose, which threatened the existence of the 
Church in Corea, and in which every descrip- 
tion of cruelty was practised against the faith- 
ful. 

The prison, in which the Christians were 
confined, was in itself most loathsome. It was 
a large piece of ground surrounded on all 
sides with walls ; there was nothing to pro- 
tect them from the heat in summer, or from 
the cold during the winter .months. There 
were several rooms built one over another, in 
which the prisoners slept at night. These were 
so small, that a man could not lie clown, and 
so filled with dirt and vermin, that it was im- 
possible to spend the night in them without 
contracting some disease ; nor were they sup- 
plied with a sufficient quantity of food. 

The punishments, which they endured, were 
also of the severest description. Amongst 
these was " the punishment of the table." 
This table was made of oak, and was about 
four feet long, and about six inches thick. 
At one end of it there was a handle. The 



3<»8 SAINTLY CHARACTERS. 

person was placed on the ground, when this 
was thrown down on him with the greatest 
possible force, so that he was nearly crushed 
to pieces. They put others to death by beat- 
ing them with sticks tied together. Another 
more refined specimen of cruelty was what 
they called the punishment of the pincers. 
Four attendants, armed with them, sur- 
rounded the prisoner, and pinched him with 
these instruments. Another method by which 
they gratified their vengeance, was by bend- 
ing" the legs and the arms of the sufferers un- 
til they were broken. They also twisted ropes 
round" them, which they pulled until all the 
flesh and skin were torn off. Others they sus- 
pended in the air, with their bauds tied be- 
hind their backs, and then beat them almost 
to death with rods. Another form of cruelty 
was the punishment " of the rule." When the 
servant of God did not abjure Christianity 
before the tribunals to which he was sum- 
moned, he was transferred to another, where 
he was three times questioned. If he did not 
then renounce his religion, he received each 
time thirty blows on the soles of the feet with 
a rule three feet in length, and two inches 
wide. 
The confessors were subjected to all these 



TilEIE SUFFERINGS. 309 

sufferings. They lay on the ground not able to 
use their limbs, and were nearer death than life. 
They were then brought back to prison, and 
at the appointed time, a vehicle with a cross 
fixed in the centre, was driven up to the jail 
door. To this cross the martyr was tied by 
the hair and hands, and driven to the west- 
ern gate of the city, where he was beheaded. 

As the jail and mode of punishment have 
been described, it will be interesting to give 
the history of one of those sufferers, who, al- 
though he was imprisoned in 1834, was not 
put to death until 1838. 

Peter Y., although descended of noble 
birth, did not escape the cruelty of the tyrant. 
When taken before the judge, he refused to 
abjure bis religion ; nor could even a word be 
obtained from him, which would seem to favor 
the false doctrines. The judge took a piece 
of paper, wrote on it, and said, " since you re- 
fuse to deny your religion in words, spit on 
this piece of paper, and then you will show 
you are no longer a Christian." To this the 
servant of God replied, "It is the same 
crime to deny the faith either bywords, or by 
deeds. I cannot, therefore, obey your unjust, 
demand." At this the judge became en- 
raged, and said. "I shall order you to lie 



310 SAINTLY CHAEACTEES. 

beaten with rods, and the first cry yon ntter 
will show me that yon have renounced yonr 
faith." His arms and legs are broken ;^ bnt 
he remains so immovable, that he seems like a 
log of wood. He is then condemned to death, 
and is ordered by the tyrant to subscribe the 
sentence with his own hand, stating that he 
was punished for professing a false religion. 
This he declines to do, saying, " My religion 
is holy ; the doctrines which it teaches are 
true. I cannot say it is false." He is re- 
manded to the prison, where he is confined for 
four vears amidst all the horrors of the noi- 
some den. When he sees his last hour ap- 
proaching, he says, " I had anxiously desired 
that my head should fall under the sword; 
but since God has otherwise disposed, His 
will be done." When he uttered these words 
he died from the sufferings he underwent, and 
from his imprisonment. 

Peter had been dead about seven months 
when the persecution commenced. Its origin 
is to be traced to a person named Mimiensan, 
who, induced by money that was offered him, 
went, and denounced several Christians to the 
judge. The emissaries of justice, anxious for 
booty, attacked the houses of the Christians, 
and took a great many prisoners. 



ROSA. KIM. 311 

Amongst these were Peter Koven and Rosa 
Kim, who were immediately brought before 
the tribunal, and deserved the praise of being 
the first who, in this persecution, made a 
public profession of the faith. Peter being 
asked " why he professed Christianity," re- 
plied, " God has created heaven and earth ; 
he is the father of all men, and bestows so 
many benefits upon them that, no matter 
what we do, we never can repay him the 
thousandth part of what he has done for us. 
Whether yon desire it, or desire it not, I shall 
always honor him." The judge becomes en- 
raged, and orders him to be beaten. After 
the punishment had been inflicted, he is de- 
sired to bring the others who professed Chris- 
tianity before the tribunal. To this he replies, 
" My religion forbids me to injure my neigh- 
bor; how can I then say any thing which 
would pierce their hearts like a sword ? " 

The judge, seeing that he could not move 
his constancy, turned to Rosa, and said, " Be- 
fore you are torn to pieces by these instru- 
ments of torture, which you see, you had bet- 
ter give up God, and tell me the names of 
your companions." To this the holy woman 
replied, "I cannot deny my God, nor can 1 
denounce the Christians." The judge asks 



312 SAINTLY CHAKACTKR8. 

her why she cannot. To this she replied, 
"Because God is the creator of all things, 
and the father of all men. He loves virtue 
and punishes vice. He reserves an eternal 
recompense for the virtuous, and punishment, 
which shall never end, for the bad. To deny 
Him is a crime, and to injure my neighbor is 
a sin. I cannot do these things — do not ask 
me ; for I am willing to seal with my blood 
the truth of what I have stated." The judge, 
filled with anger, said, " The king forbids 
your religion." To this she answered, " I be- 
long to my God before I do to the king." 
She was then most cruelly tortured, and was 
sent to prison along with Peter, to remain 
there until they were both put to death. 

The raire of the Pagans seemed satisfied for 
a time. However, it broke out again ; and, 
between the months of January and March, 
John and Anne Pak, Maria Hieng, Barbara 
Y.j Maria Oven, and Magdalen Han, fell into 
the hands of their persecutors. 

The Bishop, knowing that it was a part 
of his duty to strengthen the minds of the 
Christians, and to prepare them for battle, 
when he heard of this, relinquished the visita- 
tion of his diocese in which he was engaged, 
and went to Seoul, the capital of Corea. He 



313 

gives the following account of his mission : 
" I commenced my visitation in the city on 
the first Sunday of Lent, and finished on holy 
Thursday. I heard the confessions of about 
five hundred and fifty persons, in the differ- 
ent oratories of the capital. On two separate 
occasions soldiers were sent to arrest me ; but 
I escaped, protected by the darkness. I 
usually arose at half-past two in the morn- 
ing. At three o'clock the exercises commenced. 
I baptized some, gave communion to others, 
and confirmed all who had not received that 
sacrament. This generally lasted about two 
hours. When these retired, others came to 
obtain similar graces." The Bishop did not 
carry on the work of his mission during pas- 
chal time, lest the multitude, who might as- 
semble together, would afford a clue to the 
soldiers as to the place where they usually 
met. They were so closely watched that 
the oratories were discovered. The husband 
of Magdalen Han, who had already been im- 
prisoned, tried every means to induce her to 
forsake her religion. When she refused to do 
so, lie went to the soldiers, and made them 
acquainted willi the names, aud residences of 
all the Christians, with whom lie was ac- 
quainted. ( )n April 7th, the soldiers at- 



314 SAINTLY CHARACTERS. 

tacked the houses of those who had been 
informed against, and they cast into prison 
more than twenty of the faithful, having first 
loaded them with chains. 

The minister of the king appeared before 
the public tribunal, and declared that the 
number of Christians had so increased, that 
they must be punished in the severest man- 
ner. An edict was published by the royal au- 
thority, which ordered that the houses of the 
Christians should be visited throughout all the 
provinces of the empire. It was intrusted to a 
person named Tohao, who was ready to commit 
any deed of wickedness. As soon as the edict 
was proclaimed, the judges endeavored to carry 
it out to the strictest letter. Several young 
persons, whose parents were already in prison, 
were incarcerated separately, hoping that by 
this means they might be induced to renounce 
Christianity. In this they were deceived, 
for though^ they were deprived of all earthly 
counsel, they were strengthened by grace from 
on high, and refused to apostatize from that 
faith, to which, when children, they had been 
consecrated by baptism. Two of these were 
named Damian and Augustine. They were 
brought before the judge. Damian had for 
many years discharged the office of cate- 



DAMIAN. 315 

cliist. He was required to become a Pagan. 
To this lie replied, " My religion, which you 
call a strange religion, is to be found in every 
place, and in all parts of the world. I have 
known it now for eight years, and I cannot give 
it up ; and as to what concerns my brethren, 
we have a commandment, which forbids us to 
injure our neighbors, and I cannot inform 
against them." The instruments of torture 
were prepared. He exclaimed, " Put me to 
death with your tortures — there is nothing I 
desire more. I have only one thing to tell you 
— I am a Christian, and I shall remain so until 
my death. I have no more to add." The 
judge, inflamed with anger, ordered his legs 
and arms to be broken. Though nearly re- 
duced to the last extremity, so much so that 
all supposed his hour was come, when cast 
into prison he recovered his former strength, 
for God destined him for the more glorious 
crown of martyrdom. 

Augustine was then summoned before the 
judge. He was ordered to abjure Catholicity, 
and to inform against the Christians. This he 
refused to do. The judge urged him to have 
compassion on his wife and children, and 
comply with her request. To this he an- 
swered, "I love my wife and children, and 



316 SAINTLY CHARACTERS. 

therefore I shall not set them an example of 
wickedness." " Say one word, at least," added 
the judge, " and I shall set you free, and shall 
restore to yon your wife, your children, your 
brother, and also your property." " My re- 
ligion," he cried, " is dearer to me than any 
thing in this world, and I would sooner lose 
all, than renounce my faith." The judge 
then ordered the flesh to be torn off his limbs, 
and that he should be beaten about the head 
and neck. The floor, and the garments of 
the executioners were covered with blood. All 
the spectators were moved at the cruelties 
which were inflicted on him, and turned away 
from beholding the dreadful scene. 

But the words of St. Augustine were yet to 
be realized. " Where the sex is weaker," he 
says, " there the crown is more glorious." Two 
sisters named Magdalen and Teresa, and their 
daughters, Magdalen and Barbara, were the 
firstwho gained this crown. The judge asked 
them " if they believed the Christian religion 
to be true." To this they said " they certain- 
ly did ; otherwise they would not be before 
him at present." He urged them to bid fare- 
well t6 it, and to set both themselves and 
their children free. They told him "they 
would sooner die, than deny their God." 



LUCIA PAK. 317 

Their lirnbs were immediately broken by the 
instruments of torture. The judge inquired 
if this had aroused them from their lethargy. 
" You are "wasting your time in urging us to 
apostatize," they replied ; " we are delivered 
into your hands that we may bear testimony 
to our Lord Jesus Christ ; and you bid us 
deny Him — we cannot do so. A true Christian 
lives, and dies for God. If the laws of the 
country condemn us to death, we shall die ; 
but we cannot give up our religion. We honor 
God, and are willing to shed our blood for 
Him." They were again subjected to torture, 
and were then thrown into prison. 

A Christian woman called Lucia Pak 
had formerly been the attendant of the 
Queen. When she became a Christian, she 
gave up the court, and the riches, and honors 
which awaited her, and went to reside in an 
obscure dwelling, where she was a model of 
every Christian virtue. When brought be- 
fore the tribunal, the judge said to her, " You 
are not a person of low origin : how comes it 
that you practise a religion which is so de- 
spised ? " To this she answered : " Our reli- 
gion has nothing in it which would cause it 
to be despised. God has created the heavens 
and the earth, and every tiling contained in 
27* 



318 SAIXTLY CHARACTERS. 

them. All owe Him their existence — therefore 
tliey praise and worship Him." The judge 
ordered her to give up this strange religion, 
and to tell the names of her fellow Christians. 
To this she replied, " I cannot deny Him. He 
forbids me to injure my brethren — I cannot 
inform against them." The judge ordered her 
to be put to the torture, and then to be beaten 
with rods. Amidst all these trials so dreadful, 
that almost all the bones in her body were 
broken, she said nothing but these words : 
" Jesus and Mary." When her trials were 
drawing to a close, she told those around her, 
" I now begin to understand the suiferings of 
my Saviour, and of his mother ; until this mo- 
ment I had not formed any true notion of 
them." 

Those who had been tortured were cast 
into prison. Though their sufferings had been 
so great, that their limbs were nearly torn from 
their bodies, God, who is the vindicator of His 
children's innocence, bestowed such favors 
upon them, that, on the next day, they ap- 
peared as if they had suffered nothing. Their 
keepers saw the wondrous change produced 
upon them during the night ; but their hearts 
were hardened, and they would not believe 
the truth. 



LUCY KIM. 319 

Many others were brought before the 
judge, and put to the torture, in order that they 
might be induced to renounce the faith ; but 
their only answer was, " We must obey God 
rather than man." All seemed astonished at 
their fortitude, and at their calmness. They 
said, " You may be right ; but, however, you 
do not know more than the king and the 
mandarins." 

Lucy Kim, a young girl of tender years, was 
summoned, amongst others, before the judge, 
who said to her, " How comes it to pass that 
one so gifted by nature should follow the re- 
ligion of the Christians % " "I believe it to 
be true," she replied ; " and therefore I prac- 
tise it." 

J. You will give it up and save your life ? 

L. I cannot. 

J. You will be beaten with rods, and 
your body will be torn to pieces. Will you 
not give it up ? 

L. Perhaps I may die under the blows. 
I worship God, and I cannot give Him up. 

J. Tull me why you cannot give Him up. 

L. God has created the heavens and the 
earth, the angels and men, and governs them 
by his providence. He is the King and the 
Father of the human race. He rewards the 



320 SAINTLY CHARACTERS. 

good, and He punishes the bad. For these 
reasons I cannot deny Him. 

J. Who has instructed you in your re- 
ligion ? how long have you practised it ? 

L. From my childhood my mother spoke 
to me of God, and taught me to love Him. 

J. Do you know the Christians, and will 
you tell where they live ? 

L. I cannot injure my benefactors ; my 
religion forbids me to do so. 

J. Why do you not get married ? 

L. It is not part of your duty to speak to 
me respecting these matters. 

J. In your books they speak of the soul ; 
what is this soul ? 

L. It is a spiritual substance which mortal 
eyes cannot see. 

J. Where is it? 

L. It is in the entire body, and causes it 
to move. It is the principle of life, and when 
it departs, the body ceases to move. 

J. Do you fear to die ? 

L. I would like to live. Should I die, 
God will give me a better life than this. 

J. Have you seen God ? 

L. I see His works, and therefore believe 
in Him. This world, and all that is in it, 
prove sufficiently to me, that He is its creator. 



LUCY KIM. 321 

The inhabitants of the country have not seen 
the king — however, they believe in him. 

J. What you say is true, but perhaps you 
do not know the king and the mandarins. 

L. My religion is so beautiful, and so true, 
that the king, and his ministers, if they knew 
it, would certainly believe in it, and soon re- 
joice at their having done so. 

What can be more instructive than this 
confession? what more wonderful than the 
wisdom, and fortitude of the virgin? The 
number, who had been condemned, amounted 
to forty. The queen, and her ministers were 
astonished at finding, that so many were will- 
ing to suffer death for their religion. They 
had supposed they would have desired to live, 
and therefore would renounce their faith. 
They saw that, by putting them to death, 
they would only give them another opportu- 
nity of showing their constancy. They there- 
fore resolved to subject them to more cruel 
tortures. If they survived this, they were to 
be set at liberty. 

The royal decree was soon put into execu- 
tion, and those, who before had suffered least, 
were now compelled to submit to greater 
punishments. 

Hut these attempts produced no satisfactory 



322 SAINTLY CHARACTERS. 

results. That strength which God bestows 
on his servants in the day of their trial, 
fortified them, and frustrated the designs of 
their persecutors. When the judge perceived, 
that the constancy of the Christians could not 
be affected either by fraud, or by any kind of 
punishment, he had recourse to a different 
method, which lie hoped would prove success- 
ful. Several heathens of the most degraded 
character were confined in the same prison. 
These are commanded to turn the Christians 
into ridicule, and also to inflict all kinds of 
cruelties on them. The mind shudders from 
dwelling on these barbarities. They were 
practised both by day and by night, and five 
out of the forty, who were in confiiiemerft, 
abandoned their religion. But their place 
was soon supplied by others, who were cast 
into prison. Amongst these were two sisters, 
Columba and Agnes, one 24 and the other 
26 years old. They were made prisoners in 
their own houses, and were soon taken before 
the judge. Columba was asked if she believed 
in the Christian religion. " I believe it to be 
true," she said, " and therefore I practise it." 
The judge then inquired, " why she did not 
take a husband, and get married ?" She had 
made a vow of perpetual chastity, and mod- 



COLUMBA. 323 

estly replied : " Our God loves purity of 
mind and body, and I have consecrated both 
to Him, and to His service." He ordered them 
to abjure their faith, to tell him the names of 
their brethren, and deliver up their books. To 
this they answered : " We cannot forsake our 
God. You will put the Christians to death, 
and destroy our books, we cannot deliver 
them into your hands." The judge command- 
ed them to be beaten with rods, and said : " I 
shall cause you to be scourged to death, if you 
do not obey me." To this they meekly re- 
plied : " Do as you think fit. We cannot per- 
form any of those things you command us to 
do." The judge saw he had undertaken a use- 
less task, for he could not shake the constancy 
of those faithful Christians. He sent them 
back to prison. Columba, who was the best 
looking, was deprived of her garments, and 
given up to the fury of the villains who were in 
the prison. But He who in olden times protect- 
ed St. Agnes, when she w T as subjected to sim- 
ilar insults, did not desert His faithful servant. 
She seemed to be endowed with a supernatural 
strength, and came forth from amongst them 
unharmed. The soldiers submitted her sister 
to the same trial, and then BCOurged them and 
burned their bodies with hot irons. They were 



324: SAINTLY CHARACTERS. 

once more thrown into prison. After five 
days, when they were again visited by their 
tormentors, they were found quite recovered 
from the effects of their punishment. They were 
again taken before the judge, who ascribed 
their restoration to the power of the demon. 
They were sent back to prison, and the number 
of the confessors now amounted to forty. 
Their persecutors made up their minds not 
to put them to death, until they have once 
more endeavored to shake their constancy by 
asking more questions, and by making them 
undergo new torments. One, who in the 
commencement of the persecution had fallen 
away, and denied the faith, after three sleep- 
less nights, and days spent in wretchedness and 
misery, returned to the prison, and requested 
to be taken back, as he was a Christian. The 
soldiers refused him admittance. He then went 
to the place where the judge was sitting. They 
would not allow him to enter. He watched 
the judge as he was proceeding through 
the street, and told him that he acted false- 
ly, that he was a Christian, and desired to die 
one. The judge committed him to prison, 
where he was so dreadfully beaten with rods, 
that he died whilst they were inflicting the 
punishment on him. 



THEIR MARTYRDOM. 325 

The people seemed dissatisfied at the mode 
of acting adopted by the government, and the 
judges. They required that all the Christians 
should be put to death, as sufficient time had 
been allowed them to change their minds, if 
they were inclined to do so. They said that the 
only way to prevent the spreading of Chris- 
tianity was by inflicting punishment on all its 
professors. The j udges were desirous of trying 
once more, to overcome their constancy by 
kindness. They told them that they need only 
obey the king, and say they will do so, for this 
cannot be a grievous sin. This the pious Chris- 
tians refused to do. " AVe were always 
Christians," the;y said, " and we intend to re- 
main so, as long as we live." One of them 
asked to be permitted to see his son, who was 
in the prison, but was confined in another 
part of it. This recpiest was even denied him, 
and he was told, that if they were all willing 
to apostatize, he could gratify his desire, for 
they would all then be free. This the noble 
servant of God refused to do, and for the third 
time he was condemned to death. Nine others 
shared the same fate. On May 23d the sen- 
tence was carried into execution, and the 
gates of heaven were opened to them, fortkey 
died nobly, making a public profession of 
28 



326 SAINTLY CHARACTERS. 

Christianity. In the province of Huen-Lo 
live persons had been sentenced to death 
about ten years before, and they had since 
been kept confined. Their captivity was now- 
ended, for they died martyrs for the faith. 

About this time a fever broke out in the 
prison where the Christians were. Several 
confessors of the faith fell victims to it. 
Amongst these one deserves to be made 
special mention of. His name was Joseph 
Tsang. He had carried on a small business 
in the city, which he gave up, in order that 
he might be prevented from telling the false- 
hoods which, he said, his occupation obliged 
him to do. He seemed filled with a desire to 
shed his blood in the cause of Christ. He was 
taken prisoner in the month of June, and 
thrown into an obscure dungeon. For some 
time he passed unnoticed. At length he told 
the soldiers that he was a Christian, and desired 
to be taken before the judge to be interrogat- 
ed. They complied with his request. He was 
most inhumanly scourged by order of the 
judge, and his life was almost despaired of. 
The judges themselves were now satiated with 
the results of their cruelty, and they resigned 
their office. Others were soon substituted for 
them, who were charged to proceed more 



THE NEW JUDGES. 327 

vigorously against the Christians. The new 
judges faithfully complied with the instruc- 
tions they received, and on July 20th, eight 
persons were put to death for making a public 
profession of Christianity. 'Nor was the fury of 
the new officers yet satisfied, for on the 30th 
of the same month, at the town of Souvizduce, 
sixty Christians were committed to prison. 
They were taken before the judges, and were 
subjected to the most cruel tortures. But 
they refused to renounce their religion, or to 
discover the place where the Bishop and his 
clergy were concealed. The residence of the 
Bishop was discovered in the following man- 
ner. A man of the name of Tseng, who had 
been a most inveterate enemy of the Church, 
professed a desire to become a Christian, if the 
Bishop would instruct him, and baptize him. 
One of the Christians, a simple-minded man, re- 
joiced at his offer, and pointed him out the place 
where the Bishop lived. Tseng at once con- 
ducted the soldiers there. They took the Bishop 
to prison, manacled like a common felon. 
lie was immediately brought before the tri- 
bunal; when commanded to renounce his reli- 
gion, he boldly refused to do so. He was then 
tortured, but no groan or sigh escaped from 
him. He endured all with patience and 



32S SAINTLY CHARACTERS. 

fortitude. He was remanded to prison, where 
he learned from the Christians what they suffer- 
ed for the cause of Christ. Deeming it hest 
that the neophytes should be spared, and that 
he, with his priests, should suffer, he wrote to 
Fathers Maubant and Chastan, and desired 
them to come to the city, and to martyrdom. 
He told them that a good shepherd lays down 
his life for the sheep. They immediately 
complied with his wishes, for they believed that 
by his voice they w r ere called to martyrdom. 
They wrote two letters, breathing divine chari- 
ty. One was addressed to the Vicars Apostolic 
of the neighboring districts, and the other to 
Cardinal Fransoni, who was then prefect of 
the Propaganda. They then delivered them- 
selves into the hands of the soldiers, and with 
the Bishop were taken before the judge in 
the beginning of September. They were asked, 
" who desired them to come to that country." 
They said, " that the Pope, the head of the 
Church, had ordered them to come there." 
They were then desired to return to their 
home. To this they replied : " When we left 
our country we made a sacrifice of our lives. 
We knew the risk we were exposing ourselves 
to. The salvation of the souls in this place is 
dear to us. We cannot go away. We are ready 



MARTYRDOM OF THE BISHOP. 329 

to die here, for God will crown us with im- 
mortal glory. "We cannot tell you the names 
of our followers, for in doing so we would 
commit sin, as we should expose them to 
danger." The judge then ordered them to be 
beaten with the tabula. They were cast into 
prison, and were taken before the Supreme 
Council of the mandarins, where they were 
condemned to death. Twenty blows of the 
rule were inflicted on them previous to their 
being taken away. Three of those who had been 
confined in prison were punished in the same 
manner. Two females received each nearly 
four hundred stripes of the rod. They died 
shortly after from the effects of this, and a 
man was punished with one hundred and ten 
blows of the tabula, which put an end to his 
existence. During the following month nine 
persons received the crown of martyrdom. 

On September 24th the Bishop and the 
two priests were led out to be executed. 
They were stript of their garments, their 
hands were tied behind their backs, and they 
were brought out to a place near the river, 
guarded by the soldiers. Their sentence was 
read, and their mouths were filled \\\\\\ sand 
and water. Their legs were drawn asunder, 
and they were placed on a pole. The sol- 
28* 



330 SAINTLY CHARACTERS. 

diers, in derision, had them carried three 
times round the place selected for the purpose. 
Two arrows were placed in their ears, and their 
hair was tied with a rope to a beam. Then 
twelve soldiers rushed on them with drawn 
swords, with which they cut them in different 
parts of the body. Their heads were cut off, 
and their bodies fell lifeless on the ground. 
Thus the Bishop, whose duty it was to set an 
example to all, died a happy death. For to 
use the words of St. Leo : " Example is 
stronger than words, and it effects more to 
teach by action, than by mere instruction." 
Glorious, too, w T as the death of the priests, who, 
at the command of their Bishop, offered up 
their lives as a sacrifice, thus wreathing their 
brows with the crowns of martyrdom and 
obedience. On the following day two of the 
noblest, by birth, of the Christians were put to 
death. In a short time others also obtained 
the privilege of sharing the same fate. The 
blood-thirsty tyrants were not yet satiated. 
Death and battle were proclaimed against the 
Catholics, and others were soon cast into 
prison. Both the young and the old gave 
testimony to the truth, when summoned be- 
fore the judges, and neither threats nor bland- 
ishments could make them swerve from their 



THE FIRST NATIVE PEIEST. 331 

fidelity to their Lord, and Master. The boy 
of sixteen might be seen encouraging the 
catechist to persevere, should he for one 
moment feel inclined to yield to the allure- 
ments, with which he was surrounded. 

The persecutors had hoped, that they would 
be able to extinguish all remains of Christian- 
ity, and that they would banish it altogether 
from their shores, so that its name would not 
be even heard amongst them. How vain are 
the thoughts of men. How foolish are often 
their wisest plans. For a fresh band of mar- 
tyrs sprung from the blood of the Bishop and 
his priests, who were ready to testify, by the 
laying down of their lives, the truth of the 
doctrines which they believed and taught. 

Andrew Kim, the first native priest or- 
dained in Corea, was born of a family 
rendered illustrious by its numbers of mar- 
tyrs. Ignatius, who was put to death in 1839, 
was his father. Being always a pious and holy 
boy, in 1836 he attached himself to Father 
Maubant. When he became acquainted with 
the young man's piety and talent, he sent 
him to Macao to follow his studies. These 
he pursued with great industry until the year 
1842. Strengthened by the exhortations of 
Father Maubant, and urged on by his own 



332 SAINTLY CHARACTERS. 

zeal, he undertook many journeys, both by sea 
and land, in order to renew the intercourse 
between the Christians of the different parts 
of Corea, which had been broken up about 
three years before. In 1S46 he was ordained 
priest, and introduced two missionaries into 
the kingdom. He also went on many mis- 
sionary journeys in obedience to the command 
of the new Bishop. At length his constant 
labors were to be crowned with the palm of 
martyrdom. 

Having fulfilled the instructions which he 
received from the Bishop, he went to the island 
of Souncy. He was required by an officer 
to give up his own vessel to the king, who 
was anxious to add it to the number, of -which 
his fleet was composed. This he refused to 
do, as he deemed the demand to be unjust. 
They began to suspect him of being a Chris- 
tian, and brought him before the tribunal, and 
interrogated him. They asked him if he was 
a Christian, and when he replied that he was, 
he was ordered to renounce it, as it was con- 
trary to the command of the king. " I practise, " 
he replied, " my religion, because I believe it 
to be true, for it teaches me to honor God, and 
leads me to everlasting happiness." " If you 
will not apostatize," added the judge, " I shall 



HIS MARTYRDOM. 333 

order you to be beaten until you die." "Do 
as you please," answered the servant of God, 
" but I can never abandon my religion. The 
God, whom I adore, is the creator of heaven 
and earth, of men, and of every thing that 
exists. He punishes sin, and rewards virtue. 
Therefore every one should pay him homage. 
Should you cause me to be beaten, I shall 
thank you for it ; for God will reward me, 
and give me greater glory." He was then sent 
back to prison, and suffered more torments, 
when he was ordered to appear before the king. 
He was desired once more to renounce his reli- 
gion. This he refused to do, saying, " that by 
doing so, lie would offend God, and that the 
command of the king would not justify him 
in this respect." He then addressed them 
respecting the existence of God, the immor- 
tality of the soul, the punishment in hell, and. 
the rewards in heaven, but with no apparent 
effect, for sentence was pronounced on him 
at the conclusion of his address. 

On September 16th he was led out to exe- 
cution. The sentence was read, in which he 
was charged with holding intercourse with for- 
eigners. To this charge he replied, that if lie 
had communicated with foreigners, it was on 
account of his religion and of his God ; that for 



334 SAINTLY CHARACTERS. 

him he was about to be put to death. " A 
life of immortality," he says, " is now about 
to commence for me. If you would be happy 
after death, become Christians : for God will 
punish throughout all eternity those who have 
not known him." He was executed in the 
same manner that Bishop Imbert, and Fathers 
Maabant and Chastan -suffered. He has now 
joined the holy army of martyrs, who had 
preceded him to glory. 



CHAPTER II. 
The Martyrs of Cochin China. 
A fierce persecution raged in Cochin China, 
when Egidius Delamotte, who was pro- Vicar- 
General of the upper provinces, fell into the 
hands of his enemies. He had resolved to 
leave the village of ]Snu-ly, where he had re- 
tired to avoid them, and was about to embark 
in a boat for this purpose, when he was taken 
prisoner, and, being nearly beaten to death, 
was brought before the prefect on April 
14th, 1S40. This judge referred the matter 
to the Royal tribunal, where Father Delamotte 
was transferred as a prisoner. He was sub- 
jected to the greatest tortures during the 
space of forty days. When brought before 
the judge, he was ordered to trample on the 



FATHER DELAMOTTE. 335 

crucifix. This he refused to do. The soldiers 
endeavored to compel him, but they were not 
able to move him from the place on which he 
stood. They then scourged him so fiercely 
that he was covered with blood, and for two 
hours they endeavored to make him deny our 
Saviour, by tearing Ms flesh with an iron 
pincers. When they found that their cruelty 
produced no effect, they cast him again into 
prison. They resolved to put him to a slow 
death. After making use of various cruelties, 
they had reduced the servant of God to the 
last extremity at the end of thirty days. The 
king, desirous of' prolonging his sufferings, 
ordered a heavy chain, with which he was 
bound, to be taken off. This he seemed un- 
willing to allow the soldiers to do, for he said 
the love of Christ made it seem light. After 
a short time he was attacked with a disease 
brought on by his sufferings. He lingered 
until September 3d, when he died, showing 
himself to all a pattern of faithfulness and 
constancy. 

Father Philip Minh was born in 1816, at 
Cai Mong, in the province of Vine Long, in 
Western Cochin China. He lost both his 
parents when young, and his sister instructed 
him in religion and piety. When he was 



66b SAINTLY CHARACTERS. 

thirteen years old the Bishop received him 
into his college. He afterwards was sent to 
the college of the Jesuits, on the island of 
Pulo Penang, where he pursued his studies 
for some years. On his return to Cochin 
China he was promoted to sacred orders by 
the Bishop of Mettell&politanus, the Apostolic 
pro- Vicar of the kingdom. In 1SI6 he was 
ordained priest, and during seven years faith- 
fully instructed his people. He was commis- 
sioned to give the Sacrament of Confirmation. 
He fell into the hands- of the heathen when 
occupied in this holy work. It appears that 
he was betrayed by one of the Christians, 
who proved false, and gave information to 
the soldiers respecting the place, in which he 
dwelt. Seven catechists were taken prisoners 
with him, and conveyed to the prefecture of 
the province of Tongho. He was ordered to 
tread the crucifix under his feet. This he re- 
fused to do, saying : " I cannot do what you 
ask, for I am commanded by my religion to 
reverence this crucifix. I have always done 
so, and cannot do now what you demand." 
The soldiers were commanded to force him to 
do it, but they could not succeed in making him 
trample it under his feet. They then required 
him to say that he was not a priest, and that 



FATHER MTNH. 337 

some sacred vestments were intrusted to his 
care by the Bishop, and were not used by 
him. This also he refused to do, as he would 
be stating what was false. He was then 
ordered, with the catechists, to be sent into 
exile. On July 10th, 1853, the king is- 
sued a new sentence, which condemned him 
to death. He received it with delight, and 
wrote to the Bishop to send some priest to 
hear his confession before his execution. 
AVhen the time drew nigh, he told his fellow- 
captives, that God had resolved- he should 
offer up his life in honor of His holy name; 
that he should gladly obey His will. " Before 
I leave you," he said, " I beseech you, my 
friends, that, no matter what will happen, you 
will remain firm in your faith, and place your 
confidence in the divine assistance, which 
will most certainly be given to you." On 
his way to the place of execution he recited 
the rosary of the Blessed Virgin with such 
devotion that it attracted the attention of all. 
After a long walk of two hours they arrived at 
the spot that had been selected for his martyr- 
dom. He there, on his knees, renewed the offer- 
ing of himself which he had made to God. A 
board was then placed on his shoulders, on 
which was written: "Mink, the leader of a 



338 SAINTLY CHARACTERS. 

false religion, is beheaded, and his head is 
thrown into the river as a warning to others." 
His hair was then tied on the top of his head, 
and his arms were bound behind his back. He 
called on the Mother of God to assist him, and 
on God to spare him, a sinner. He then spoke 
in kind terms to a Christian who was near 
him, and his head was cut off by one blow of 
the sword. The soldiers immediately took to 
flight, as if they feared that God might punish 
them for putting an innocent man to death. 

The Christians, who were present, collected 
the blood that had been shed, and having got 
possession of the head, carried it with the 
body to the neighboring village of Cai-Nhnm. 
On the following day it was translated to 
the town of Cai-Mong, and after the religious 
ceremonies had been performed, it was buried 
in the chapel, which is now in ruins. 

Nor were signs wanting to show how God 
honored the glorious triumphs of his con- 
fessors. 

Although the Christians of Cochin China 
venerate him as a martyr, and though they 
guard his blood like a precious jewel, and are 
anxious that he should be beatified, nothing 
is allowed in the church, which indicates a 
public cultus. and which is contrary to the 
decrees of Urban VIII. 



MARTYRS OF TONQUfN. 339 



CHAPTER III. 

The Martyrs of Tonquin. 

The Church in Tonquin has also its martyrs; 
and though they are fewer in number, they 
are equal to the others in the greatness of 
their victory. The history of some of these 
will now be related. 

Father Augustine Schceffler was born in 
Nancy, in the year 1822. In the month of 
June, 1S48, he came to Eastern Tonquin, and 
in six months he became so well acquainted 
with the language of the country, that he was 
able to undertake the work of the ministry. 
The Bishop was so much pleased with his 
zeal, that he made him accompany him in 
his visitation in the year 1849. When this 
was ended, Father Augustine went to the 
province of Xu-Doai, which had been intrust- 
ed to him. Though the mission was very ex- 
tensive, and he had to travel a great distance 
over mountains and rivers, and suffered much 
from fever, and was often obliged to conceal 
himself, in twelve months he heard the con- 
ion of 4,700 persons, and gave communion 
to 3,500. In the commencement of the year 
1 851,an edict was published by the king against 



34:0 SAINTLY CHARACTERS. 

Christianity, and the punishment of death 
was ordered to be inflicted on the Christians. 
Wheo ruin seemed to threaten the Church in 
Tonquin, he received orders from the Bishop 
to proclaim the Jubilee. On the first of 
March he gave the necessary notices respect- 
ing it. The inhabitants of the neighboring 
village knew that he lived at Bauno, and that 
he was going to visit the upper parts of the 
province. They therefore resolved to take 
him prisoner, and deliver him to the man- 
darins. To their queries he replied that he was 
a native of Kancy, a priest, and 29 years old- 
That he came to proclaim the Gospel, and 
that he purposed to do so as long as he lived; 
and, as he knew it was prohibited in this 
country, he came to preach it here. Sentence 
of death was immediately passed on him, and 
he was sent to the prison, in which the 
heathens condemned to death, were confined. 
There he was for some time the object of their 
bitterest reproaches, and his ears were pollut- 
ed by the blasphemies, and by the obscene 
language, which they made use of. The 
keepers of the prison, on receiving some 
money from the Christians, had him removed 
into another part, where he was enabled to 
see some of his friends, and also to go to con- 



FATHER SCHCEFFLER. 341 

fession. On the first of May he was lead out 
to execution. A great number of soldiers ac- 
companied him. One of them bore on a 
spear a board, on which was written, "Au- 
gustine, a European priest, contrary to the 
law, lias entered this country, and preached 
the religion of Jesus, and seduced many peo- 
ple, lie has confessed his crime. His head, 
therefore, is to be cut off, and thrown into 
the sea." So great was the joy, with which he 
was animated, that even the heathens wonder- 
ed at him, and said, "We have never before 
seen such a hero as this. He runs to death 
as if he were going to a banquet, How 
courageous he is. No fear casts its shadow 
over him. What goodness, and sweetness of 
temper lie shows. Why has the king con- 
demned him to death?" 

When the}- had arrived at the place of ex- 
ecution, the servant of God immediately fell 
<»n his knees, and offered his life as a sacrifice 
to (rod. He kissed most devoutly the crucifix, 
which he held in his hand, three times. He 
then took off his coat, and bared his neck. 
lie lifts his eyes to heaven, and his head is 
severed from his body with three blows of the 
axe. The heathen, who stood around, imme- 
diately rushed forward, and divided amongst 



342 SAINTLY CHARACTERS. 

them his garments, and the grass which had 
been sprinkled with his blood. So impressed 
were they with what they saw, and so con- 
vinced were they that it was a great and 
a noble man who had been put to death. 
The soldiers bury his body in the place where 
he had been executed. When they went 
away, the Christians dug up the body, and 
brought it into the city, where it was buried 
with all the accustomed rites, and ceremonies. 
The next martyr, whose name deserves to 
be recorded, is Father John Aloysius Bon- 
nard. He was born near Lyons, in May, 
1824. His parents were remarkable for their 
piety. He was educated in the College of 
Lyons, and at the age of 22 was transferred 
to the Seminary of Foreign Missions in Paris. 
He was ordained priest by Mgr. Sibour, Arch- 
bishop of Paris. In 1850 he arrived at Ton- 
quin, and in a short time made himself master 
of the language of the country, and before the 
end of the year he was able to preach the 
Gospel to the people. In the month of April, 
1851, he was sent to Ke-P>angenses, where he 
ministered with zeal and industry to the wants 
of the Christians. In a short time he was 
transferred to Boixujenses. A mandarin hav- 
ing heard of his being about to go there, gave 



FATHER BONNAED. 343 

information to the prefect of the place. A 
large body of military were sent to the city, 
where they endeavored to detain Father Bon- 
nard, who was administering baptism to some 
children. He tried to escape, but was taken 
by the soldiers, and on March 21st, 1852, was 
brought before the judge, ready to under- 
go whatever his Lord would call him to. On 
the next day he was taken to the principal 
city of the province. He was exposed to the 
taunts of the inhabitants in the large hall of 
the Governor's house, and finally sent to 
prison. As soon as the Bishop heard of his 
confinement, he sent a priest to comfort him, 
and to prepare him for the coming conflict. 
He wrote expressing his happiness at receiving 
holy communion, to the good Bishop. " I was 
rejoiced," he said, " at my receiving holy 
communion. I know not when 1 was so happy 
at the king of angels visiting me. One must 
needs be in prison, and be manacled, to be 
able to know, how sweet it is to suffer for Him 
who has loved me so much. I feel more 
pleasure than those who have come into a 
large fortune. My chain and my Gang are 
heavy, but they do not give me pain. The 
cross of my Saviour was heavier than my 
chain, and I lis manacles were harder to sup- 



344 SAINTLY CHARACTERS. 

port than mine, and I esteem myself fortunate 
to be able .to say with St. Paul : ' Vinctus in 
Christo] a privilege which 1 have looked for- 
ward to even from my youth." 

He was brought before the judge, who put 
many questions to him, to which he answered 
nothing, fearful of betraying the Christians. 
When desired to trample on the crucifix, he 
refused to do so, stating that he was ready to 
die, but. could not commit such a crime. On 
April 5th, lie was sentenced to be put to 
death. He received holy communion fre- 
quently, and on the last day of the month 
wrote the following letter to the Bishop: 

" MoNSIGNORE, AND M\ BELOVED Compan- 
ion^!— This is the last letter which I shall 
write. Adieu ! my hour is come. I hope to 
meet you all, whom I low. in heaven, where I 
shall no Longer grieve at being separated from 
yon. I trust in the mercy of my Saviour, 
and I hope He will pardon me for all my sins. 
I offer my life, and the shedding of my blood, 
as a token of love to my dear Master, and for 
those dear friends who have desired to help 
me. I pardon all those who have injured me 
in any manner. Do not think that I have no 
further need of prayer. Have pity on my 
soul, and if I can do any thing with my God, 



FATHER BONNARD. 345 

when I am with Him, I shall not forget you. 
To-morrow will be the festival of St. Philip 
and St. James. It is the anniversary of Father 
Schoeffler's entrance to glory. I believe it is 
fixed for my sacrifice. Let the will of God 
be done. I die happy. Blessed be my Saviour. 
I wish you all adieu in the most sacred hearts 
of Jesus and Mary. I salute you in the sacred 
hearts of Jesus and Mary. A bondsman in 
Christ, 

"John Aloysius Bonnakd. 1 ' 

On the morning of the first of May lie was 
brought out to be executed. He walked five 
miles, heavily manacled, and with a cang, to 
the place where he was to suffer, supported by 
a supernatural strength. During an hour lie 
remained on his knees in prayer, for they had 
forgotten the instruments to cut his chains. 
At the sound of the trumpet his head was 
cut off with a sword. Except his blood, with 
which they were sprinkled, the Christians 
were prohibited from collecting the relics of 
the martyr. The heathen carried these awnv, 
and sold them to the Catholics. They, how- 
ever, afterwards got possession of his head 
and body, which were thrown into the river. 
They buried them in the chapel of the Mission. 



3^6 SAINTLY CHARACTERS. 

CHAPTER IV. 
The Martyrs of China. 

China has been rich in martyrs in the past 
ages.. In modern times, also, it has had its 
glorious numbers. Some facts connected 
with one of these holy men, will now be re- 
corded. 

Father Augustus Chapdelaine was born in 
the diocese of Constance, in the year 1S14, 
and after pursuing his theological studies in 
the Seminary of Foreign Missions in Paris, 
he was sent to the province of Quang-si. He 
encountered many difficulties in spreading 
the knowledge of Christianity, when he was 
taken prisoner by the prefect of the city, who 
afterwards set him at liberty. His hopes to 
be able to convert many were soon frustrated. 
For a quarrel arising between a man, who 
was a Christian, and his wife, her friends, in- 
dignant against them, gave information to the 
officers respecting Father Chapdelaine, as be- 
ing a man who practised magic and was teach- 
ing his disciples to fly. The soldiers were sent 
to make him prisoner. He, having gone to 
a neighboring village, awaited them, resolved 
not to desert his flock in the time of persecu- 
tion. He was found on his knees by the officer 



FATHER CHAPDELAINE. 347 

who came to take him. The servant of God 
bids him wait until he has finished his devo- 
tion. In the mean time the house was surround- 
ed with armed soldiers, who took him before 
the tribunal, and conveyed him to prison. The 
judge put many questions to him, and ordered 
him to be beaten. He showed such constancy, 
that they ascribed it to the power of magic. 
They then made use of some charm, but he was 
unshaken, and he was condemned to kneel 
for an entire day on a chain. His thumbs 
and toes were tied together behind his back, so 
that his entire weight rested on his knees. 
After this he was shut up in a cage, his head 
resting on a board, which are placed over it, 
and his feet hardly touching the ground. 
They left him for a day and a night in this 
posture, when the prefect, fearing that he 
might end his life by the art of magic, ordered 
his head to be cut off. His remains were 
treated with the greatest disrespect, and left 
to be devoured by the dogs and wild beasts. 
His heart was torn from his body, and served 
as food for some of his murderers. 

Laurence Pe-Mon and Agnes Tsan-kong 
were martyred in the same month. 

All these cases were submitted to the Pro- 
moter of the Faith. His report proved favor- 



348 SAINTLY CHARACTERS. 

able, and on September 24th, 1857, the Holy 
Father signed the commission for the intro- 
duction of the cause. 

The following is an extract from the opinion 
of the Promoter of the Faith :— " When I 
read the acts of these martyrs, I was more 
astonished at the constancy of the faithful 
than at the ferocity of their murderers; for the 
Catholics have overcome the cruelty of their 
persecutors by a power more than human. 
Like the apostle of old, these champions of the 
faith have been strengthened by the grace of 
God. 

" I am astonished at the cruelty of the enemies 
of our holy religion, who have employed such 
barbarous means. It is said, that St. Paul 
has already shown us who should be consid- 
ered as martyrs, when, in his epistle to the 
Hebrews, he spoke of the saints who suffered 
torments, and stripes, and chains, and im- 
prisonment, who have been stoned, and slain, 
and put to death. All these have been made 
use of with respect to our holy men ; there- 
fore we may consider them martyrs. As, by 
the command of the Holy Father, I am 
obliged to offer my opinion respecting this 
point, whether he should sign the commission 
for the introduction of the cause of these 



CAUSES OF THE MARTYRS. 349 

heroes of the Catholic faith, I shall say what 
is usually done in similar causes. 

"Following the doctrine of Benedict XIV. 
respecting the introduction of the causes of 
the servants of God, the ordinary processes 
should be produced. As this cannot be done 
in those causes, the Holy Father has been 
pleased to allow the documents, which have 
been presented by the Propaganda, to be re- 
ceived, and, by instituting this congregation, 
he has derogated from the law of ten years. 

" The writings of the servants of God should 
also be examined ; but this rule has never been 
rigorously complied with in the case of mar- 
tyrs, the decree not requiring it. It would, 
however, be useful if they could be examined, 
as the opinion of the holy martyrs are known 
best by their writings. 

" It is necessary that the documents present- 
ed should prove the reputation of the cause of 
the martyr, and of the martyr ' himself, and 
that there is no obstacle to the introduction 
of the cause. The Bishop must also attest 
the fact of this reputation being on the in- 
crease. 

" I now pass to the consideration of the 
proofs presented in these causes. These are 
the relations presented by the Vicars Apos- 
30 



350 SAINTLY CHARACTERS. 

tolic, by the missionaries, and other persons 
worthy of credit. The authenticity of these 
documents is certain, and they seem sufficient 
to prove the question we are now treating of. 
They have, by the rescript of the Holy See, 
been taken as judicial documents. They are 
confirmed by the missionaries and Vicars 
Apostolic, and it must be concluded that they 
are such as Benedict XIV. deems necessary 
in similar caue 

"In applying these principles, it will be 
seen that there are for each martyr more than 
one witness of the facts. This constitutes 
what is called a full proof, and is a moral 
certainty. 

" I do not think it my duty to say any 
thing respecting the cause of martyrdom. 
It is certain that they have been put to 
death through hatred for our religion, and that 
their lives would have been spared, if they 
were willing to commit the least act of 
apostasy. An act or a word, even doubtful in 
itself, against religion, would have saved them. 
For the Mandarins would be rejoiced in 
getting a Christian to apostatize. We conse- 
quently read in the acts of some, but very 
few in number, who had thus apostatized, 
that they immediately retracted. Their hearts 



LIST OF MARTYRS. 



351 



were not corrupted. Others had done but very- 
little, not enough to be considered as apostates. 
They can only reproach themselves with the 
scandal they had committed." 

The following is the list of the martyrs, 
whose cause was approved of by the Congre- 
gation of Rites, Sept. 17th, 1857 : 



Laurence Imbert, Bishop 

of Capsa, 
Peter Maubant, Priest, 
James C hast an, Priest, 
Augustine Y., 
Barbara Y., his wife, 
Agatha Y., his daughter, 
Damian Nam, 
Maria Nam, his wife, 
Peter Koven, 
Agatha Y., widow, 
Magdalen Kim, widow, 
Barbara Kow, 
Anna Pak, 
Agatha Kim, 
Lucia Pak, 
Maria Kiev, 
John Baptist Y , 
Ar<;rvriNE, his brother, 
Magdalen Y., 
Magdalen, her mother, 
Teresa, 
Barbara, 
Barbara, 
Martha Kim, 



Lucia Kim, 
Anne Kim, widow, 
Rose Kim, widow, 
Maria Oven, 
John Pak, 
Maria Pak, 
Paul Ting, 
Augustine Low, 
Charles Tchao, 
Sebastian Ham, 
Ignatius Kim, 
Judith Kim, 
Agatha Tsen, 
Magdalen Pak, 
Perpetua Hong, 
Columba Kim, 
Agnes, her sister, 
Peter Tshoi, 
Barbara Tso, 
Magdalen Hang, 
Agatha, her daughter, 
Agatha Y., 

Benedicta Hieng, widow, 
Elizabeth Ting, 
Cecilia, her mother, 



352 



SAINTLY CHARACTERS. 



Barbara Ko, 
Magdalen Y., 
Maud, her sister. 
Augustine Par, 
Peter Hong, 
Paul Hong, 
Magdalen Low, 
John Y., 
Barbara Tshoi, 
Paul He, 
Peter Y., 
Joseph Tsang, 
Psotasiub Tsang, 
Peter Leoh, 
Agatha Tsang, 
Barbara Kim, 

Li ■< I A, 

Anne Han. 
Barbara Kim, widow, 
< atharine y., 
Magdalen Tso, 
Francis Tbhoi, 
Lawrence Pe, 
Mow, a ueophyte, 



Teresa Kim, 

Stephen Mlnh, 

Anthony Kim, 

And'w Kim, a native priest, 

Charles Kiem, 

Andrew Ham, 

Lawrence Kam, 

Joseph Im, 

Teresa Kim, 

Agatha Y., 

Susan, her servant, 

Catharine Tokt, 

De la Motte, Priest, 

Philip Minh, Native Priest, 

Peter Doth, Catechist, 

Mathew Kam, 

Lewis Xgo, Catechist, 

Augus. >« ikekeler, Priest, 

John Aloy8TU8 Bohkabd, 

Priest, 
Augustus Chapdelaine, 

Priest, 
Andrew T>i IT, 
Agnes Tsah Kong, widow. 



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